


Avengers: Pandora's Box

by PandoraDrake



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Gems, Marvel Cinematic Universe - Freeform, Marvel Universe, OC gets superpowers, OFC becomes a superhero, OFC gets superpowers, Pandora's Box, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, SHIELD, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-04-25 13:12:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14379363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoraDrake/pseuds/PandoraDrake
Summary: Treasure huntress Veronica Drake asks her friend Helen Moore to help her continue her late grandfather's legacy by fulfilling his unfinished mission: finding Pandora's Box. She never thought trying to honor his grandfather would change her life for good.This story's timeline can be kind of confusing when connecting it to the MCU's timeline. I will try to make it as clear as possible but if you still need an actual recap of the events just let me know and I'll work something out. Hope you enjoy the reading.





	1. The Raid

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I would like to make clear that my first language isn't English, one of the reasons I'm doing this is so I can improve at it, so excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes. I try my hardest. I will try to leave a playlist at the beginning of every chapter so you can listen what inspired me during my writing. I might also interrupt the chapters to tell you when to start listening to the songs. I always listen to music on Spotify so you may not be able to find all the songs on Youtube.
> 
> Lastly, in case you were curious, I picture Veronica as Amber Heard and Helen as Rachel McAdams. There's no reason for it. I just can't get over Amber Heard.
> 
> Thanks for reading, beforehand. Love :)
> 
> Playlist:
> 
> One - Metallica  
> Children of the Damned - Iron Maiden

# July 27th, 2009

“The sealed cave should be here” the blonde woman informed, pointing some spot on the island of Crete.

“And how are we supposed to get into it if it’s sealed?” her brunette partner asked.

“Well, considering it was sealed two thousand years ago, I highly doubt we’ll have much trouble opening it”.

Both women stood around the table, examining the map. It was lit only by a dusty light bulb that flickered every few seconds, it seemed to be about to burn out. By the time it did, they would probably be long gone. They had to use the previous hours to the sunrise in order to stay off the grid.

That was the main reason they had chosen to stay in such a dilapidated motel, to stay under the radar. If anyone found out what they were looking for and managed to get all the information they had gathered over the years, they would get a lot of competition. That was what treasure hunting was all about; not drawing unwanted attention and constantly watching out for potential threats. Especially since what they were after was nothing less than the mystical Pandora’s Box, whose existence was known by very little people. However, no one had ever got as close to it as they had.

“No one apart from us knows of the existence of this cave, right?” the brunette inquired, getting a nod from the other woman. “This is insane. Can you believe how far we’ve come, V? We could only dream with finding the Box years ago, and now here we are, hours away from having it in front of our eyes”.

“I won’t believe it until I see it”.

After her many years in the business, Veronica had learned to not get her hopes up until she finally had the relic right in front of her. A lot could happen, from other treasure hunters that had been tracking her down, to the relic being nothing of value. Of course, she didn’t just do this for the money, she also did it for the thrill of finding what she was after, but the money took a big part too.

With everything they needed already in the trunk, they got in the off-road vehicle and started their forty five minute drive.

As she observed the landscape passing by, Helen remembered how she had gotten involved into all of this. On her second year of Classics, her best friend, Veronica, had showed up on her door. They hadn’t seen each other for over two years, since Veronica had been out of the country; she had decided not to go to college and follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a treasure hunter. However, after his passing she had returned home to attend the funeral and to hear the will read. He had left her a letter and some key as her inheritance. In the letter, he asked her to finish his last investigation for him. He wanted her to find Pandora’s Box with the help of all the clues he had gathered but hadn’t been able to follow due to his age and health condition. The key opened the safe that contained every single bit of information he had on the relic. After going through all of it, Veronica realized she couldn’t quite understand some stuff and figured Helen would. She offered her to join her in her search and divide the money they got from selling the Box to the highest bidder.

It was a really difficult decision for her. When Veronica told her about the dangers of hunting such a wanted treasure, she thought about backing out. Many of Veronica’s grandfather’s partners had been killed by thieves who craved to get rich by selling these relics in the black market. The man himself had almost been killed way more than a couple times. And even though that scared her, she also found exciting to risk your life in endless adventures seeking all sort of ancient artifacts just for the thrill of it. She had admired Veronica when she first told her that she was leaving to do just that. Helen would’ve loved to do the same, to leave with no second thoughts and no fixed plans, just the goal to find as many treasures as she could. But she was not as brave or perseverant as her friend was. Veronica was adventurous, fearless, and she had always looked up to her because of that. She was resilient, capable of overcoming any adversity that got in her way. Nevertheless, Helen knew that if she lived the same life as Veronica and failed just once, she would be too demoralized to keep going and would simply give up. Still, she accepted Veronica’s offer, deciding she couldn’t let go such an opportunity.

For years they were working from a distance. While Veronica was looking for other relics Helen tried to decipher some unsolved riddles among the clues they had, and when she couldn’t she asked her friend for advice, since she was more experienced in the whole “mysterious clue solving” thing.

And when the car stopped, she knew the moment had come. They were about to make the biggest discovery of her life.

They would have to walk from there on, so they got out of the car and started to get their stuff from the trunk. Veronica checked the guns and took enough clips. When Helen heard her loading the weapons, she looked at her with wide eyes and shuddered a little. Her friend just shrugged.

“One’s never safe enough. Do you have the compass? I can’t find it.”

“I have it” Helen answered, showing her she had it around her neck.

“Okay, so let’s go through the plan once more and then we’re good to go. This cave is supposed to be in the highest mountain to the North. The area is very steer and we’re probably going to need to climb, so you have to be careful. When we get there we’ll find a way to open the cave. Got it?”

Helen nodded.

“You know V, I’m really proud of you. And thankful. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here.”

“I’m proud of you too, Hel.” She turned around and smiled at her lovingly. “Watch where you step”.

And right as she said that, a loud gunshot was heard. They both turned around and spotted a group of men dressed in a black military uniform aiming their weapons at them as they slowly moved forward. Veronica instinctively stood in front of Helen, protecting her in case anyone tried to shoot her. They had made sure to wear bulletproof vests just in case, but by the looks of the guns the men held, they wouldn’t be enough to stop one of their bullets. Veronica held her pistol in front of her, aiming at one of the men. She could feel her friend shaking behind her, her breathing uneasy.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Veronica Drake herself” the man Veronica was aiming at said. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I’ve heard quite a few stories about you, the youngest treasure huntress in history. You’re definitely as beautiful as successful, if I may add.”

He moved and spoke nonchalantly, and that was when Veronica knew they had a very small chance of getting out of the situation unharmed. They were clearly outnumbered, and the newcomers’ weapons were a lot bigger than their own. The man that had spoken, who seemed to be the leader, didn’t even bother to aim at her.

 “Who are you?”

“My name is Grant Ward. I work for an organization that has been interested in your findings for quite a while now. We know what you’re after, and we would like to negotiate with you what to do with the Pandora’s Box when you find it.”

“I’m sorry but I have no idea what you’re talking about. We were about to go for a hike.” Veronica was doing it the peaceful way in order to help Helen stay calm, but Ward let out a laugh at her words.

“There’s no need to lie, miss Drake. We have no plans of harming you or your friend.”

“Is that why you brought those weapons with you? To have a friendly and harmless conversation with me?”

“Well, that is our intention. We brought them just in case you didn’t want this conversation to be peaceful. So tell me, Veronica Drake, are you willing to have an amicable conversation?”

“I’m not sure I should spend so much time talking to a stranger mr. Ward, so if you’ll excuse me I think we’ve been held up long enough.”

Helen took a slow step backward, assuming the best thing to do would be to act normally and just leave. That was when Ward fixed his gaze on her for the first time.

“Look at this! She may not know how to talk, but at least she can move.” He got closer to the women and gave Helen a threatening look. “Don’t you dare take one more step or it will be the last thing you do”.

“Stay still” Veronica whispered, fearing her friend lost it and tried to run away. “Please, Helen stay still, you can’t escape.”

But Helen wasn’t in her right mind, and she started to run as soon as possible. Veronica didn’t have enough time to grab her arm to stop her when Ward turned to one of his men and gave him an order just by gesturing. He shot Helen and the bullet went through her left shoulder, making her scream.

The sound of her friend being hurt made Veronica stop caring about what could happen to herself. When the man aimed at Helen again, Veronica ran to take the bullet for her. The last thing she felt, was an unbearable pain in her thigh and her head violently impacting the ground. After that, everything was black.


	2. The Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:
> 
> An Old Friend - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
> 
> The Cave - The Hunger Games

## October 2009

 

When she opened her eyes, a white light blinded her. Her head hurt like she had never imagined it could, but she didn’t know why. She didn’t even know where she was, nor what day or time it was. Looking around she found out that the room had no windows, but there was a doorframe with no door that seemed to lead to a bathroom. She stood up and headed towards the sink with wobbly legs. Maybe what she needed was to wash her face to clear up her mind.

She let the water run for a few seconds and then took some in her hands, bringing them to her face as she bent forward. She put her hands on the edge of the sink, her face still wet, and looked at herself in the mirror.

For some strange reason, she didn’t recognize herself. Did she look like that? She guessed she did, but that face didn’t look familiar at all to her. Then she saw something  beneath her hair. Stitches.

“What the…”

When she touched them carefully, she started to panic. What had happened to her? She couldn’t recognize her reflection in the mirror, she didn’t know where she was, why or how she had ended up there. Were those stitches the reason she couldn’t remember a thing?

The sound of the door being opened startled her. In the room where she had woken up, she found a man in a grey outfit.

“Hello, miss.”

She didn’t answer. She just stared at him.

“I am sure you have a lot of questions, but first you should eat something. You must be famished.”

Nodding her head, she sat on the bed and waited for the man to bring her food.

“Why do I have these?” she asked him once he arrived, pointing to the stitches.

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I am not allowed to give you that information. They just sent me here to give you something to eat.”

“ _They_ sent you? Who are _they_?” she inquired.

“As I said, I’m not allowed to give you that information. I’m sorry miss. Enjoy your lunch. Someone will come for you when you’re required.” And with that, he left the room, closing the metal door behind him.

“Hey! Where are you going?!” she yelled, banging on the door. “What do you mean you can’t tell me anything? I need to know, you hear me?! Where am I?!”

After fifteen minutes trying to get someone to answer her questions or get her out of that room that she realized looked more like a cell, she gave up, sliding down the door. She had no clue of where she was, what day it was, or what she was doing there. And that man had kept calling her miss, and she hated being called that. Why couldn’t he just call her by her name?

And then it hit her.

“I can’t remember my name” she whispered, staring into space.

Her eyes started to burn and her head suddenly felt really hot. She tried to think of her name, but none of the ones she could think of seemed to belong to her. She guessed she had a family too, but she couldn’t remember. She just couldn’t. She was so overwhelmed she could hardly hear her own thoughts, her heart was racing and she was finding it hard to breath. Her ears began to ring and she thought she was going to be sick. She ran to the toilet and threw up, letting her body sink against the wall when she was done. She felt weak and she was shivering from the cold feeling left in her body after vomiting. She lay down on the concrete floor in fetal position and cried silently.

What was wrong with her? Was she safe there? Was she going to die?

She passed out from stress and tiredness and was woken up with a soft kick to her ribs. She opened her eyes and found a man with a similar uniform to the one the man from earlier was wearing. However, this man wore a bulletproof vest and a gun on his right hip. He abruptly took her by the arm, forcing her to wake up. She winced, feeling something burn inside of her chest. She had been so numb before that she hadn’t realized she probably had a couple of broken ribs and bruises on her body. She felt like she had been beaten up, both physically and mentally.

“You’re required now” the man simply said.

They walked through the corridors and she was thrown inside a different room, with only a table and two chairs. The light was dim over the table and she decided she would sit on one of the chairs. She felt like she had been in a room like this one before, and for some reason, as unsettling as the situation was, she felt safer than she did in the previous room.

Looking around, she noticed a camera high up on the wall, on a corner. This was being recorded? What was going on? She wished someone would just explain everything to her or give her her memory back. At least she wouldn’t feel so vulnerable.

The door opened and another man came in. He took a seat in front of her and stared at her for a few seconds, smiling. She found his smile rather eerie.

“Hello there, miss Drake. How are you feeling?”

Drake. That was her surname? It didn’t sound familiar at all to her, but she decided she would hold onto it.

“Who are you? Where am I and why am I here?” she blurted out.

“Not so fast. I am willing to exchange information with you, as long as you promise you will comply.”

“Comply?”

“You have information that is highly valuable to us. In order for me to tell you what you want to know, you have to assure me you will give us all the intel we need.”

Intel? What did he mean by _intel_ and how was she going to tell him anything when she couldn’t even remember her own _name_?

“But... I don’t…”

“Let me say first, if you don’t comply there will be consequences. We have been spending a lot of time with your dear friend Helen Moore and I’m afraid she hasn’t enjoyed it as much as we have. You can ask her for advice on your decision.”

Helen Moore? That was a friend of hers? She couldn’t remember her, but if she was her friend she should be able to tell her who she was. She had to get to her.

The man was threatening her to get information she did not remember. She didn’t know whether she should lie and see what happened or just tell him the plain truth: that she did not have a damn clue of who she was or what he wanted. But at this point, she was starting to see her and this Helen’s lives were on the line. She couldn’t risk it by lying.

“I would gladly comply, but the thing is… I don’t remember”

The man let out a sharp laugh.

“Is that all you’ve got? _I don’t remember_? C’mon, you’re Veronica Drake. You should make justice to your name. If you’re gonna lie at least do it convincingly.”

“Veronica?”

“You can stop now. I’m not buying it”

She started to sweat. It was her name but she didn’t find it familiar at all. It wasn’t surprising but it didn’t make it any less unsettling. How was she going to fix this? There was no way this man was going to believe her, but she wasn’t lying.

“I swear I am _not_ lying. I don’t remember why I’m here. I woke up earlier and couldn’t even recognize myself in the mirror. No one would say anything, and then I was brought here. You told me my name, and mentioned this Helen Moore and you’re talking about some information I’m supposed to know about, but I don’t. I mean, I don’t know if I do. I wish I did, I just can’t remember a damn thing. I swear on my life if I knew what the hell you’re talking about I would tell, there’s nothing I want more right now than to get out of here”

The man stared at her, narrowing his eyes. Then he silently stood up and left the room for a minute. When the door opened again, it was a woman with a white coat. She sat where the man had earlier, and started asking her questions. She couldn’t answer none of them.

She was taken to what she guessed was the treatment room. A couple of doctors examined her, ran some tests, and eventually the man who had been interrogating her before showed up, looking closely at what the doctors did to her. When the results came out, he nodded.

“Well, well, Drake. Looks like you were not lying.”

He left the treatment room and she could hear him talking to someone else in the corridor. She couldn’t hear everything they were saying due to the distance and the closed door between them, but she knew her memory loss was an issue. They needed to get the information out of her, which was good. They needed her, so they couldn’t kill her. But with her memories nowhere to be found, how indispensable was she?

 

* * *

  

Veronica had been escorted back to her cell. She had been there on her own, doing nothing, for three and a half hours. She was losing her mind, locked up and clueless of what was going to happen to her. She still didn’t know why the hell she was there or what that place was. She had tried sleeping, but she couldn’t. She was terrified of waking up and not remembering anything again.

She had come up with the idea that maybe she had done something bad. Maybe she had killed someone, or had stolen something. For all she knew, she could be a cold blooded murderer. She definitely didn’t feel like she had just killed anyone. But how was she supposed to know how it felt? Was she a bad person?

The door opened and she hurriedly stood up from the floor. The man that had interrogated her entered the cell, and when he sat at the end of the bed, facing her, she knew she was about to get some answers.

“You’re in Athens. This is one of HYDRA’s base of operations. HYDRA is an organization that works to grant humanity the freedom and power they are bound to have. To do that, we need something you and your friend were after: Pandora’s Box. Ring any bells?”

“Kind of” Veronica mumbled.

“What do you mean _kind of_?”

“I know the myth, but I didn’t think there was such a thing as Pandora’s Box. I thought it was all made up.”

“Well, it’s not. You and your friend found out its exact location, and you were on your way to retrieve it when our people found you. Your friend got aggressive and things got ugly. One of our agents took a shot at her and she shoved you in front of her, so you got the bullet for her.”

She sucked in a breath. “Is that how I…?”

“Yes. That’s why you have a bullet wound on your thigh. You fell and impacted your head really bad. You were in a coma for three months, and recently you had to undergo your second surgery, that’s why you have stitches. The first one was as soon as we got you here.”

She didn’t have the energy to be confused anymore. She felt numb. How could she feel betrayed by someone she couldn’t even remember being friends with? She didn’t know. All she knew was she wanted revenge.

“So she’s responsible for my memory loss?”

“In a way, yes, she is” the man nodded.

Veronica couldn’t see clear. Rage clouded her judgment and all she saw was red. Her ears rang again and her knuckles were white. The man could see her ears were bright red and noticing her anger, he tried to take advantage of it.

“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. But you can get out of here. As I told you earlier, we just need you to comply. If you get the information we need, we will free you. You can get your life back.”

She gazed at him, trying to steady her breathing. She was sweating, her whole body boiling with anger.

“What do I have to do?”

“You have to be willing to do _whatever it takes_ to make her talk”.

There was no need to think about it.

“I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit short, I'll try to compensate it with the next chapters. If you read this, go ahead and make yourself noticed in the comments. :)


	3. The Inquisitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it goes! The backstory takes some time, I want you to fully understand and get to know Veronica and her story. I promise the actual plot fun is a couple of chapters away, though! I won't make you wait for too long.  
> That being said, who's already seen Ininity War? I saw it yesterday and it drove me CRAZY, seriously, my life is ruined. Wish I could nap until May 2019. I'm genuinely heartbroken. If you've seen it too, let me know in the comments and tell me what you thought about it! No spoilers in case someone hasn't had the chance to watch it yet. :)  
> Playlist:  
> Aggressive Expansion - The Dark Knight Soundtrack  
> New Rules - Batman VS Superman Soundtrack

The man, whose name she had learned was Agent Brown, led her to a different area of the base. This one wasn’t as dull. The walls were grey too, but there were white parts that slightly relieved her anxiety. She still hoped to see a window soon. She craved for sunlight.

At last, they entered a white room. In the center of it, a woman sat on a chair, tied down to it, her head down. If she hadn’t seen her chest move up and down, she would’ve thought she was dead. She was dressed in grey too, but she must had been a long time in the same clothes: they were filthy with blood, ripped in some places, like she had been cut. Veronica studied the woman’s arms. Her skin was ashen and bruised.

So this was Helen. She barely moved when he heard the door being opened, but sensing someone else’s presence in the room, she lifted her head. When she saw Veronica her eyes went wide open.

“Veronica?”

Veronica couldn’t speak. She just stared at her, scrutinizing her features: her brown soft curly hair, small nose, her pink lips and her big green eyes, always with that twinkle on them. But she blinked and all of that was gone. Her hair was a mess and nowhere near soft, her lips were chapped and her eyes were red and sad. She looked devastated. And even though just a moment ago she had seen how Helen used to look like, she felt no sympathy at all towards her. She remembered her looks, but she didn’t have any memories of her.

“It was your fault” she muttered, gazing at her.

“My fault? What… What are you talking about?”

Helen looked at Agent Brown. He whispered something to Veronica and she nodded as he exited the room.

“Why are you here, V? I thought you were dead, they wouldn’t tell me anything about you”

“I lost my memory. I can’t remember you, Helen. That’s why I’m here.”

She gasped and the tears finally left her eyes, streaming down her face. She had thought her friend was gone for good, and when she finally gets her back… She’s not even there.

“You’re here so I can help you get your memories back?” Helen shrugged. That didn’t make any sense. HYDRA had been making her life a living hell for three months, now out of the blue they wanted to make her happy? Something wasn’t right.

“No” Veronica shook her head.

Agent Brown came into the room again. This time, he carried a bag. A bag Helen knew all too well, and she started shaking, her eyes moving from her friend to the bag, and back to her friend. She knew why she was here.

“I’m here to hurt you”.

Veronica approached Agent Brown, who handed her a wrench.

“Veronica, I don’t know what they’ve told you but they’re lying. We’re friends V, please, don’t believe whatever they’ve told you” Helen blurted out, panic taking over her.

“Don’t listen to her. Just do the job” Agent Brown ordered her friend.

“Where is the Box?” the blonde inquired.

“I-I can’t tell you that. You know I can’t. We promised we wouldn’t tell.”

“Tell me where the Box is” she demanded louder.

“I can’t. I won’t” Helen swallowed the lump in her throat and held back her tears. She wasn’t going to talk, no matter what happened to her. If Veronica was in her right mind she wouldn’t want her to talk, either. And she would forever be loyal to her friend.

“Where is it?” Veronica barked.

Helen looked down, waiting for the blow. She wasn’t going to talk, Veronica realized that. She looked at Brown, expecting him to tell her what to do. He nodded and she started hitting her.

When she was done, Helen’s face was ruined. And somehow, she was glad. That way she wouldn’t have to remember the friend who betrayed her every time she looked at her.

She was surprised when Helen still lifted her head and looked her straight in the eye. One of them was black and swollen already. The other one wasn’t that bad but her eyebrow was bleeding. She spit blood and then she talked.

“Do you remember when I asked you why had you chosen me to be your partner in the search for the Box?”

Veronica remained still, but when Helen opened her mouth to speak again, she felt an aching pain in her temple. She faltered but managed to stay standing. When she opened her eyes and met Helen’s gaze again, she realized she did remember.

“Because you’re the most loyal person I know” she muttered.

Agent Brown to the blood stained wrench from Veronica’s hands and reached for Helen.

“There are some things you can never forget, Ronnie.”

And after that the agent knocked her out with the wrench, her head falling to the side. Veronica started to freak out. She remembered her. She remembered asking her for help, she remembered being best friends with her in high school. It was a very distant memory, and as soon as it came it was gone. But regardless, Brown dragged her out of the room and talked through his earpiece.

“She needs to be wiped.”

 

## April 2010

 

Veronica had been wiped twice every week for six months. HYDRA had made the decision to wipe her memories temporarily, until they got what they needed from Helen. In case she was of no use, then they would get rid of her and try to reach Veronica’s memories.

The frequent electroconvulsive therapy she was getting was turning her into a mere tool. It had been months since she last had a conversation. All she did was answer HYDRA’s questions in monosyllables and ask Helen what they commanded her to do. She didn’t care if she left and took her life back, or if she stayed there forever. She wasn’t living, she simply existed. And that didn’t bother her.

After all, she thought what she was doing was what she was meant to do: being useful to HYDRA. That’s what they had put into her head. They had led her to believe that was her mission in life. She didn’t remember Helen. She no longer knew her own name, nor did she need to. They called her the Inquisitor. They started using her for other purposes, but she always played the role of the executioner. Torture for information. If the subject didn’t have the information HYDRA needed, she killed him. She was actually good at what she did, even though that wasn’t her main mission. She was infallible.

However, sometimes she took things too far. She didn’t have free will, or will at all, but when she had to hurt someone right after being wiped, her system had a severe adrenaline overdose. That led her to almost getting things wrong. But she had always been able to control this before they got out of hand.

Always up until that day.

As usual, they requested her presence in Helen’s room to once again, try to get her to talk. Deep down, the organization knew it was of no use. Even Veronica thought she would never talk, and that infuriated her.

“Is the Inquisitor ready to function?” her handler, Agent Brown, asked.

“Yes sir.”

She stood up of the chair where she had just received her therapy and followed the agent in charge of her. She didn’t need to be accompanied around the facilities anymore, she was already familiar with the base, no matter how much they brainwashed her. It came out naturally.

Helen was nothing like she used to be. Her face was absolutely disfigured and sunken in, black circles under her eyes. Her legs and arms were bony and extremely thin, like the rest of her body, and she was so pale her veins were the only color thing remaining in it. She had lost a lot of hair and what was left looked scraggly. She looked sickly, like she might break if she was touched. But that’s what the Inquisitor was there for: to break her.

“Are you ready to comply?” she asked.

But she didn’t answer. It had been months since she had said a word. Not to complain, not to try and convince Veronica that what she had been told was a lie, not to plead for mercy. She didn’t even cry when she was hit anymore. Sometimes she truly thought the woman was dead. And it angered her that she was alive and still dared not to answer her questions. It angered her that she wasn’t dead, because she wanted to kill her so bad she could hardly keep herself from doing it.

She hated her. From some unknown reason, she hated her with all her being and up until now, it had been enough for her to make Helen suffer. She enjoyed hurting her. But it infuriated her that she didn’t comply, not even when she was on the verge of death. The fact that she was still alive and breathing without breaking drove her insane.

She didn’t notice she had started beating her up again. Her victim was on the floor, bleeding and whimpering silently. Any other day, she would’ve stopped there. But her handler had left her on her own and she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t keep herself from hitting her again, and again, and again.

The Inquisitor took the pliers out of the bag and forced the woman to open her mouth. She ripped two of her teeth and Helen still did not make a sound. She took her by the neck and pressed her against the wall, punching her face over and over again. Then she threw her to the other side of the room, her back impacting the floor. The woman spit dark blood and a couple of teeth, and the Inquisitor thought she had no teeth left.

At that point, she didn’t care anymore. She felt the aching urge to kill her and she was going to do it. She _needed_ to. She knew it wasn’t her mission. Her handler wouldn’t like it, HYDRA wouldn’t be happy with her. So why did she want to do it?

 

“Why do I hate you so much?” she muttered.

“They made you hate me” Helen managed to gasp. “But it’s okay. This isn’t you. It never was. You are the most loyal person I know.”

Veronica’s eyes widened. She didn’t even think she would get an answer from her. She had assumed she was no longer able to talk. And somehow, her words made her feel like she had just ignited a flame in her gut. She knew that some time ago, that had caused something inside her click. But that didn’t happen then.

She walked up to where Helen was lying and grabbed her neck again, lifting her up. The woman was very short and her feet didn’t touch the ground.

“Shut up” she whispered.

“I know how this is going to end. So I want you to know, that I forgive you. I forgive you because I love you.”

“I said shut the hell up!” Veronica yelled at her.

“And if this is my fate, then so be it. I died loyal to the person I admired the most: my best friend, Veronica Dr-”

There was a cracking sound.

 “Veronica is dead,” she let Helen’s lifeless body fall plump to the ground “and so are you”.

And then Agent Brown burst into the room, agitated. He stared at the dead body on the floor and looked at the Inquisitor.

“What the hell have you done?” he yelled at her. “These were _not_ your orders. The boss will not be happy.”

She gulped and looked down. It had been a while since she had felt fear and in that moment, frightened didn’t even begin to describe how she felt. Brown talked on his earpiece.

“Notify Garrett. We’ve had an incident with the Inquisitor. The woman is dead.”

He listened to his orders and Veronica waited for him to say something else. She had failed her mission. She had never failed a mission for HYDRA before, and not knowing what they could do to her terrified her. Suddenly Brown nodded and cut the communication.

“Agent Garrett wants a word with you.”

She had never met the man in person, but she had heard his name several times and had assumed he was the man leading this operation to find the Box. How were they going to do that, when she had just killed their only way of finding the thing?

This was the only place she hadn’t been on the base. The office. She opened the door with the HYDRA symbol on it and found a man with a receding hairline and his brown hair slicked back. He had his feet on the desk, and as soon as he saw her, he slowly put them down.

“I was told you required my presence, Agent Garrett.”

“I did. Come in, Inquisitor. Close the door. Do you want to take a seat?”

She did as she was told but refused his offering to seat down.

“No sir, I have failed the mission. I can’t take a seat. I should be punished.”

Garrett laughed out loud.

“Well, I see everything I heard about you is true. You certainly are disciplined. Don’t be so hard on yourself, woman.”

It felt weird having someone address her as a woman. When HYDRA started wiping her, they began addressing her as a thing instead of a person. It sounded odd.

“But you’re not wrong. You fucked up big time. Lucky for you, we knew something like this could happen and we have a backup plan” he stated.

She remained silent, waiting for him to continue. When he realized she wasn’t going to say anything, he spoke again.

“You don’t know what I’m talking about, right?”

Veronica shook her head.

“You’re the backup plan, miss Drake” Garrett announced with a wicked grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to make yourself noticed in the comments. Thanks for reading!


	4. The Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:
> 
> Sent here for a reason - Man of Steel Soundtrack  
> Look to the stars - Man of Steel Soundtrack

## April 2011

HYDRA had been a year trying to recover Veronica’s memories, but it wasn’t going as planned. When they realized it was going to be more complicated than they first anticipated, John Garrett transferred part of his team and the Inquisitor to the HYDRA Siberian facility. The Winter Soldier Program had been developed there and their knowledge in brainwashing was the most advanced of all the HYDRA bases.

But after months of testing all kind of therapy on Veronica, they got to the conclusion that the only way of getting her memories back was to send her to her family, take her back to her normal life and let time do its thing.

HYDRA had been keeping contact with the Drake family by messaging them every once in a while, impersonating Veronica. They knew something had happened to her, all she had to do when she got home was explain how she had lost her memory. She had managed to remember who her family was, how they looked like and their names, but she couldn’t recall a single memory of them.

“Tell me how you lost your memory again” John Garrett said.

“As we were getting to the location of the Box, we stepped on an unstable rock and there was a landslide. A huge rock fell on Helen and she didn’t make it. Another one hit my head really hard and a rescue team saved me. They couldn’t do anything for her. Up until now I’ve been in the hospital and they didn’t let me leave until I was fully recovered.”

Garrett nodded. “Well done. Maybe after you get your memories back and pay your debt to us, you will consider joining HYDRA. I definitely see you working in here, kid.”

Veronica had never felt so lost. Her first months on HYDRA had been a living hell, not knowing anything about herself or anything else, for that matter. After that, she didn’t have any memories. And the last few months had been hard. But the most difficult part was to decide how she felt about the organization. Should she be grateful that they had let her live? Or did she hate them for turning her life into a complete mess? She didn’t see herself joining HYDRA, but actually, she didn’t see herself doing anything.

“By the way, I don’t think I need to remind you we’ll be monitoring your every move. And if we ever suspect you’re lying to us, your family home will start to look less like a cozy house and more like a cemetery, and we don’t want that, right?”

She shook her head.

“That’s what I thought. Have a nice flight. Hail HYDRA.”

“Hail HYDRA.”

 

* * *

 

After a long way and a couple of flights, Veronica arrived at Austin, Texas. She had called a cab and was on her way to her grandparents’ house on the outskirts of the city. After her grandfather’s passing her mother had moved into the house with her boyfriend Grayson, to take care of her grandmother, who suffered Alzheimer's.

As she stared out the window, glancing at the landscape, she started to feel more comfortable. She didn’t have any memories of this place, but a warm feeling in her chest told her this was the place she had grown up in.

The house wasn’t a long way from the city, but it was far enough to make you believe you were in the middle of nowhere. She remembered her grandfather hated the city. He said it was too contaminated for him to at least reach the age of seventy. And the 25th of April 2007, Eugene Drake died at eighty five. Country life granted him a few more years of life.

Surprisingly Veronica realized she remembered more about him than she thought. She knew her grandpa had been one of the most special and important people in her life. She had looked up to him her entire life and the thing she had always wanted the most was to be like him, to make him proud. And, in a way, that was something that had defined her.

The cab came to a stop. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn’t even noticed they were in front of her house. After paying the driver and thanking him, she took her luggage out of the trunk and walked up to the doorstep. She knocked twice and didn’t have to wait much for someone to open the door.

“Who is… Veronica?” her mom squealed. She had a cloth on her hands and dropped at the sight of her daughter.

The woman squeezed the life out of the younger one, tears coming to their eyes. The sense of familiarity, and again the warm feeling in her chest made Veronica feel home again. This was her home. She was alive, and she was going to remain that way, because her family, her house, her life… That was something she refused to forget for good.

“My little girl, I would kill you for vanishing like that if I wasn’t so relieved to see you alive and well” she said, wiping her tears. “Where the hell have you been?”

Veronica opened her mouth to speak when Grayson appeared behind her mom. He had a huge smile on his face.

“Thank goodness, Veronica! You’re a sight for sore eyes, girl, come here” he said, embracing her. “Let her come in and settle down, Nora. After two years waiting, five minutes won’t harm anybody.”

She came in and stared at the inside of the house, astonished. It was all there. She remembered it- everything. The furniture was the same, the couch, the clock, the dining table. The TV was newer though, and she noticed on the chest of drawers in the entrance some pictures she hadn’t seen before. She scrutinized the faces in the pictures and she recognized the sweet smiley boy as his nephew Max, but she didn’t know who the little girl was.

Her mom realized she was troubled by the photograph, and approached her carefully, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Honey, are you okay?”

Her daughter looked at her immediately, forcing a small smile.

“I need to talk to you”.

*

“We were almost there. In a matter of hours we would be right in front of the Box and everything we had been through, every second of the two previous years would finally be worth it. But then Helen stepped on the wrong place and caused a landslide. A rock fell on her and I knew she couldn’t be saved” she swallowed hard, trying to sound convincing. “I was hit by another one, and it made me fall to the ground and lose consciousness. After that, I was in a coma for three months. When I woke up I couldn’t remember anything. My name, you, anything about my life… Hell, I couldn’t even recognize myself in the mirror.”

Veronica didn’t have to act as if the story hurt her: it actually did. But what hurt her was the fact that everything she knew was because HYDRA had told her. And she couldn’t be a hundred percent sure it was true. Her friend Helen was dead, and she doubted they would lie to her about something like that. They were evil, but what would they gain from lying about it? They just wanted the location of the damn relic, that’s all they cared about. That’s all they needed her for. And that’s what they were going to get.

Nora and Grayson were sitting on the couch in front of her, their eyes wide open. Her mom covered her mouth with one hand, trying to take it all in, and her boyfriend had his hand on her thigh, trying to give her some comfort.

“Sweetheart… I’m so sorry this happened to you. My poor girl, I’m so sorry” she said, shedding some tears.

“Mom, stop. It’s fine, okay? I’m fine. I’ll get through this. This is no one’s fault and there’s nothing any of us could’ve done to stop it. I was an unfortunate incident but it’s in the past now.”

“But poor Helen, she was such a nice girl. Always smiling and laughing and… She was always there for you. Does her family know?”

Veronica shook her head.

“The aunt she lived with died when we were twenty-one. She’s had no one ever since.”

“This is so sad” her mom mumbled sadly.

“How are you holding up, kiddo? We’re talking about your best friend. That must’ve been hard” Grayson asked.

“I don’t know, it doesn’t… bother me. I know it sounds wrong, but I don’t remember her, you know? You can’t miss or grieve someone you don’t remember knowing.”

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Suddenly there was a sound in the adjacent room and Veronica was startled.

“Again? I am _not_ buying another TV remote, I swear to you Grayson” Nora stood up from the couch and headed to the room. Veronica looked at Grayson, questioningly, and he let out a chuckle.

“That’s your grandma. Whenever she wants attention and she’s not getting it, she throws the remote just so your mom goes wherever she’s at and scolds her. It seems to amuse her a lot” he said.

She smiled and decided to follow her mom. She had a few memories of her grandma, not very vivid, but she remembered her being fun. Her mother was scolding her, and the old woman was cracking up.

“This is the second remote we’ve bought this week mother, you have to stop doing this! If you want or need something you can just yell!” Nora said, her hands on her hips.

Veronica couldn’t help but chuckle, and as her mom turned to her she was finally able to see what her grandma looked like now.

“Meemaw?”

Sonya’s face was all wrinkled, more than it had the last time she had seen her, and her hair was completely white now.

“Who are you?” the old woman said.

“It’s me, Meemaw. It’s Veronica. Your most favorite grandchild.”

Her Meemaw scrutinized her face. Veronica was sitting next to her now, and the closed her eyes as the woman caressed her face, a look of acknowledgement replacing her puzzled one.

“I was about time, young lady. You abandoned me here. I’ve been so bored, your mother doesn’t let me do anything” she complained, narrowing her eyes at Nora, who rolled hers.

The youngest of the three let out a laugh and hugged her grandma tight. It felt so good to be home.

 

## January 2012

 

Most of her memories were back now. She had reconnected with her past-self, and she was getting her life back; as much as she could, anyway. However, she still hadn’t recovered the memories HYDRA needed her to. She didn’t worry much about what they would do if she took too long to remember. They needed her alive and healthy, and she knew she wasn’t in danger. However, she couldn’t help worrying about her family. She wasn’t keeping anything from HYDRA, but what if they got impatient and tried to hurt her mom, or her brother, in order to pressure her? Veronica knew there was a real chance that happened, but she would do whatever it took to keep her family away from any harm.

Grayson was preparing lunch while Nora and Sonya sat on different armchairs, facing the TV. Veronica was sitting on the kitchen counter, reading through one of her Papa’s many journals. The news was on and another Captain America headline appeared on the lower part of the screen.

_National hero Steve Rogers, known as Captain America, showed up today at the fundraising that took place in Brooklyn. The money was set aside for Saint Luke’s Orphanage. The association was having financial problems and the Brooklyn born and raised man decided to attend the event in order to “add his little grain of sand”. He made a generous donation to support the cause and the exemplary citizen dedicated a brief moment to say a word to the media._

Then his image popped up and he looked pretty awkward and partly disoriented. He didn’t know what camera to look at and he said a word to every microphone to make sure he was heard. It was actually funny.

_“Wait, is this live? Huh, you say I don’t need to talk to every microphone? Oh god, this is so embarrassing. Can you cut this out later? Okay, well. So I came here today to show my support to this amazing initiative. After I lost my parents I felt really lost, and these kids should have the right to at least have a bed to sleep in. I had the opportunity to meet some of them and they are lovely fellas, I hope they find a family soon.”_

Sonya started clapping her hands enthusiastically, smiling at the screen, and Veronica let out a chuckle.

“What’s that, Meemaw?”

“This man is the best thing that has happened to our country. He’s pure goodness and justice, he always was. I remember back in the day all the ladies were head over heels in love with him. I can’t say I wasn’t, just look at him. Oh dear, I remember Mary Rose met him once, during the war. She wouldn’t shut up about it… Such a conceited bitch. Good thing she’s dead now.”

Veronica choked back a laugh. “Meemaw!” she squealed.

“Mother, that is not nice at all!” Nora reprimanded, incapable of holding back her smile.

“But it’s true. Why are you all smiling if it is so wrong? Because it’s the truth.”

Veronica shook her head and laughed a little. Her Meemaw had always been a great fan of Captain America. She remembered her telling stories about him when she was little. Sonya had served in the war as a nurse, which is where she met Eugene, Veronica’s grandfather.

A couple of months before, the man was found frozen, yet alive, under the sea, after being presumed death for seventy years. He often made public appearances always in company of Phil Coulson, an agent of some government institution that had participated in his search.

She felt sorry for the man. He had given his life for the greater good, and even though he just got a second chance to live it, everything he ever knew, everything he ever loved, was gone. His friends, his house, life how he remembered it, it had all changed. I had been taken away from him. She could understand how he felt to some extent. Her life had been taken away from her as well, although she was working on getting it back. She honestly hoped he made the most of his second chance, too.

*

She lied in her childhood bed. She had gotten used to being back in it, where she used to lie while his Papa shared his amazing stories with her, which amazed her, because they were all real. The best thing was remembering those stories years later and still finding them mind-blowing. 

She still hadn’t had the chance to see her brother Miles and his family, his wife Bethany and his children Max and Bethany Jr, the girl she hadn’t recognized in the picture when she first got to the house. Apparently, they had been living in Australia for a year and a half now, since Miles’ job in the military had forced them to move. Her mom had told her they would probably come back home soon, and she was looking forward to it. She missed him very much.

Exhaustion took over her in a matter of minutes, and Veronica fell asleep.

And suddenly she wasn’t asleep. She wasn’t awake either. She could see everything around her but she couldn’t control her body, she couldn’t move. Her heart was racing and she had started sweating. Involuntary thoughts clouded her mind, and when she got back control over herself, she sat up on the bed, shaky and breathing fast. She remembered. She knew where it was. Her eyes were wide and unintentionally, the word that she kept listening in her head slipped out of her mouth.

“Pandora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to make yourself noticed down in the comments :) And leave kudos if you liked it. Come back for more!!


	5. The Retrieval

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is getting real in this chapted! I enjoyed a lot writing this, finally familiar faces showing up YAS  
> By the way, I don't know if I've said it before, but I chose Veronica's surname to be Drake because of Nathan Drake from the game series Uncharted. He's a treasure hunter too, I was obsessed with this character when I started writing this story and decided to pay tribute to this amazing game. And I say this because one of the songs from the game's soundtrack is in today's playlist and it reminded me I had never told the story before. Happy reading!  
> Playlist:  
> The Thieves of Libertalia - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Soundtrack  
> American Beauty - American Beauty Soundtrack  
> Heronymous - House Of Cards: Season 2 Soundtrack  
> Fury - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack

## June 2012

 

When she had the nightmare Veronica immediately tried to reach HYDRA to tell them she had remembered the location of the Box. As soon as she contacted them, they urged her to pack everything she needed and be ready at first light.

She felt awful for leaving her family like that, without knowing when she would see them again. But she had to do it for their sake, so she left a note and hoped they understood. She would do everything in her power to make things go as smoothly as possible so she could go back home soon.

And once again, after five months of preparations, she was about to be in front of the relic, and this time it was going to happen. HYDRA had decided to send her alone, with a team following her closely and yet again, monitoring her every move. She couldn’t wait to get rid of them and finally be able to live his life without someone tracking her every move.

After a five-hour trek, she finally found herself facing the sealed entrance of the cave. She opened it following the cautious method she had learned she had to apply in order to not cause a landslide, and entered the underground passage.

 _“Mission report”_ Veronica heard through her earpiece.

“I think I’m almost there. This passage keeps going down.”

_“Drake? Control demands mission report immediately. I re-t , c-trol … mission rep- …ly”._

The earpiece was losing signal due to how far down she was. She reached for it, trying to make it work.

“Hello? Control? Do you copy?” she breathed out, exasperated. “Well, this is just great. I’m like a hundred meters deep in the earth and I’m all alone without a way to communicate with this people if anything goes wrong. Just great.”

She kept walking, annoyed. Well, she guessed the team tailing her would come looking for her in case she took very long to come out. Suddenly she stepped where she shouldn’t have and slipped, losing her balance and falling to the ground. When she stood up, she saw it. The huge golden box: _Pandora’s Box._ And she could see it held something that emitted a white glow.

She knew she shouldn’t open it. She couldn’t, she had to wait for HYDRA to get to her. But she felt drawn to it and she couldn’t resist it. This was it. Her grandfather’s legacy. And a voice inside her head kept saying “it belongs to you”.

So she opened it. Inside of it, a white gemstone shone a dazzling light. Veronica was amazed by its beauty and when she reached for it and the tip of her fingers made contact with the gem, her hands felt like they were on fire, the sensation spreading through all of her body. She took a few steps back, and then she plummeted to the floor.

Some minutes later steps echoed throughout the gallery, and the trail team spotted Veronica lying on the floor, still. Phil Vovk, leading the team, approached her. He bent down and noticed she wasn’t breathing. He took her pulse, but there was none. Standing up again, he lightly kicked her body and when there was no response, he got closer to the Box. Looking inside of it, he realized what had happened and carefully closed it again. Then he gestured the team to follow him.

“She’s dead. She opened it. If you even attempt to do the same thing, I will make sure you suffer the same fate. Take the Box, we’re leaving” Vovk commanded.

“What about the body?” another agent asked.

Vovk gazed at her. “Just leave her. Even if she was alive we would’ve had to kill her, she knew too much. Looks like that little glowing thing right there did the job for us. Let’s go.”

The team obeyed him without further questioning. They left Veronica’s body there, believing her dead.

Nevertheless, a couple of hours later, all of a sudden she woke up, gasping for air. She tried to stand up but there were so many things in her head that she couldn’t find the strength to do it.

She finally remembered it all. Images of Helen and her working together to find out the path to the Box, and the previous moments before the accident flashed on her mind.

It was never an accident.

They made her kill Helen.

Veronica was feeling the same way she had when she first woke up without a single memory. But now it was all there. It was all there and she was overwhelmed. The moment where she had beaten Helen to death repeated in her head over and over again, and it was destroying her. She had killed her best friend. And she had kept her mouth shut for months, undergoing the worst kind of torture because she decided to remain loyal to Veronica.

And after all that had happened, HYDRA still got what they wanted. The Box was gone. Her grandfather’s legacy, what she and Helen had been working for the last few years, they had taken it away from them. Stolen it. She couldn’t stand idly.

Helen couldn’t have died for nothing. Veronica would make sure of it.

## March 2014

 

For almost two years Veronica wandered around Europe. She had decided not to go home when she noticed the gemstone had done something to her. When she first got to Romania, a taxi driver had spoken in Romanian to her and she understood perfectly what he said. Puzzled, she intended to answer in English but she did it in Romanian as well. After that, in Hungary, Austria and Poland the same exact thing happened. Somehow she had woken up being able to speak any language.

She had a weird episode in Italy too, when she found an old woman who had tripped. She helped her stand up and while her hands held the lady’s, she felt her pain like she had been the one to fall.

The things she had experienced were not dangerous, but she felt like she was. She didn’t know what she could do, or how to control it, and it scared her. She didn’t want to go back to her family if she could possibly harm them unintentionally, although she did talk to them. They thought she was looking for some other relic, and even though they were angry at her when she left, eventually they forgave her. All she needed was time.

However, her life had changed since she met HYDRA. For all they knew she was dead, but she knew they had eyes everywhere. It terrified her to think they might spot her, even if she was laying low and moving from place to place to avoid drawing attention. She had dyed her hair golden platinum and she was living under the name of Katia Vasylysk.

In March 2014 Veronica was in Ukraine. She had been there for a couple of months now. One morning she was doing the usual grocery shopping, when she felt like someone was watching her. She decided to shorten her shopping list and leave the store as soon as possible, acting normal. When she exited the supermarket she changed her usual direction and wandered a few streets. She knew she was being followed and her stomach twisted in a knot. There was a dead-end alley nearby. The sole idea of going in there to confront whoever was following her scared her to death. But if it was HYDRA, she’d rather fight them than let them take her. That wouldn’t happen again.

So she headed towards the alley. It was a dark and narrow street, and it was colder too. It was dead silent and she could hear the steps behind her getting faster. Suddenly, she stopped walking, and so did the person behind her. Her new senses made her more perceptive and she knew her chaser was a man. She could feel him, and she knew they had met before, although she still didn’t know who he was.

“So… Katia Vasylysk, huh?” he said with a thick Russian accent, letting out a hoarse laugh. “Who are you trying to fool, _Katia_?”

She recognized his voice and turned around to face him. Agent Petrov had been at the HYDRA base in Siberia during her time there. They had found her.

“How did you find me?”

“By pure coincidence, really. I’m glad I did, though. Your new look suits you quite well, but you were supposed to be dead, Veronica.”

Petrov started taking slow steps towards her, and she stepped back until her back slammed against the wall. She knew he thought he could take her, but he couldn’t. She wasn’t the weak woman HYDRA had held captive. She hadn’t been like that before she met them, and she wasn’t now. When Petrov tried to grab her by the neck, she slipped past him and kicked his back, pushing him and making him crush into the wall. He turned around and threw a punch at her, but Veronica grasped his arm and twisted it behind his back. She elbowed his jaw with the arm she had free and turned him back around. She pinned him up against the wall, his feet not touching the ground. The man’s eyes were wide, and even she was surprised with her skills. Her reflexes were much faster now and she was stronger. But anger flowed through her veins and she didn’t focus on that thought: she wanted answers. She wanted something that could take HYDRA down, and she wanted the Box back.

“Tell me what HYDRA is up to now” she inquired.

To her surprise, he looked into her eyes. His gaze was lost, and he answered obediently, almost like he was being compelled.

“Project Insight.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a project to proactively wipe out possible threats or people who might oppose HYDRA’s goals.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, puzzled. Why was he answering so compliantly?

“What color is your underwear today?” she tested.

“Blue with donuts on them.”

She frowned and pulled his pants down, still pinning him against the wall. He wasn’t lying. She smiled a little. He acted all tough but wore donuts on his underwear, it was ridiculous.

Maybe this was another thing the stone had done to her, and despite the fact that she kept discovering new abilities and that freaked her out, she had to make use of it.

“When are they launching it?”

“In three days our undercover operatives will take over SHIELD. Nick Fury and Steve Rogers are main targets, so they’ll kill them first.”

She knew what SHIELD was. After the Battle of New York in 2012 SHIELD had become publicly known, with Nick Fury as its director. If they were what HYDRA was after now, she had to get to them and let them know. If they had been able to stop an alien invasion, there was no way they couldn’t bring HYDRA down.

“And how can I stop it?”

“You can’t.”

“We’ll see. Now, when I let you go, I want you pull your pants up and forget you saw me here. I died back in Crete, remember?”

He tried his best to nod his head and she released her hold on him. Once his feet got back on the ground, Petrov walked out of the alley without sparing a glance at her.

Veronica finally had a lead. She had a mission: saving Nick Fury.

## 3 days later, Washington DC

 

Fury knew something was off. Suddenly SHIELD’s security system wouldn’t let him access the information Agent Romanoff had gathered in her last mission. Given his clearance level, he should be able to decrypt the drive, but when he couldn’t he decided to set in motion an emergency plan. As soon as he was out of the Triskelion and in his car, he called Agent Hill and told her to get to DC in deep shadow conditions. After hanging up, a police car crashed into his on an intersection, pushing his car a few meters away. Three more blocked his way immediately.

Veronica drove her black car around when she witnessed it all. She knew what was going down and parked her car behind one of the police’s, getting out of it and running towards the black SUV. Using Fury’s distraction with the whole DC Metro Police dispatch situation, she got in the back of his car as he injected something in his arm. When he heard the door he turned around, taking a gun from his belt.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked aiming at her.

She put her hands up. “I’m on your side. SHIELD’s compromised.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve noticed that. How do I know you’re not lying?”

During their conversation, the SWAT team had showed up too, and they all started shooting the SUV non-stop.

“Do you think I would’ve got in this car if I had known they were gonna do _that_?”

“Get me out of here!” Fury said to the car computer.

“Propulsion systems offline.”

“Then reboot, dammit!”

The SWAT crew opened the trunk of the patrol car and got a giant hammer out of it.

“No way is that a…”

“A battering ram, yes it is.” Fury answered.

Fury asked the car to inform him of the window integrity level as the battering ram smashed it, rocking the vehicle with every bang. The percentage kept going down and Veronica was freaking out because he wasn’t doing a thing.

“Not to be rude but why the heck aren’t you getting us out of here?!” she said.

“Window integrity one percent” the car computer announced.

“Now!” the man yelled, and a small turret assembled in front of him. “You use this thing, you better know who to shoot!” he said to Veronica as he threw his gun at her before he started shooting with his weapon.

Veronica rolled down the window and started shooting the agents as Fury used the turret. They were taking out the agents, who were probably HYDRA, when the car finally done rebooting the propulsion systems. They took off and the car drove on autopilot. Fury started a conversation with the computer that under other circumstances she would’ve found rather disturbing, but given the situation she was almost glad the car could talk. She saw he intended to get to the driver’s seat, but he flinched due to his injuries.

“Do you want me to…” she gave him a questioning look, glancing from him to the wheel.

“Get here” he said, pointing the driver’s seat. “Give her the wheel and get me Agent Hill.”

“Communications array damaged.”

“Well, what’s _not_ damaged?”

“Air conditioning is fully operational.”

“Well good to know we won’t suffocate in here. God, I feel like David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider.”

“Who are you, again?” Fury said exasperated.

“Veronica Drake. I happen to hold some grudges against HYDRA and three days ago I found out this was happening, so I came all the way from Europe to inform you of the situation. If you’re taking down HYDRA, I want in.”

 “Traffic ahead” the computer voice informed.

Fury asked the car to give him an alternate route, and as it does, Veronica smashes into some cars to cause a pile up to stop the vehicles tailing them. She tried to maneuver her way out of the jam but their persecutors got out of their cars and started shooting at them, so she saw herself forced to pave her own path by smashing and pushing every vehicle in her way.

“There’s one shooting the rear window” Fury warned her.

She went in reverse and ran him down.

“There you go” Veronica replied cockily.

Two police cars managed to make their way towards them and started chasing them again, already out of the traffic. One of them drove right next to the SUV and one of the men got half of his body out of the window to shoot at them.

“Look out!” Fury screamed, pushing Veronica’s body against the back of the seat as she kept driving.

She looked at the man with the gun and stomped the SUV against it, the HYDRA operative getting half of his body inside the car. Veronica banged her head against his and took one hand off the wheel to twist this man’s wrist, making him drop the weapon, and then hitting his temple with the back of the gun. While she did that, the other car managed to reach them and stomped against the SUV too.

“Warning, approaching intersection.”

“Step on the brakes” Fury yelled.

Veronica did as told, and both vehicles drove towards the intersection, where they crashed against a trailer.

“Get me off the grid!”

“Calculating route to secure location.”

But all of a sudden, they saw a figure standing ahead, aiming a gun with a magnetic disk grenade at them.

“What the…” Fury mumbled.

“… fuck” Veronica finished.

And with that, the mysterious silhouette shot the disk, attaching itself to the vehicle, causing it exploded and flipped over. Veronica groaned, her chest feeling tight as they were trapped inside the car. When they both looked out of the window, they saw the shooter walking over to the car. Veronica tried to turn her head to look at Fury.

“Fury how the hell are we- ouch!”

She felt her arm being burnt, and she noticed what Fury was doing. He was using some kind of laser weapon to burn a hole and get out of the car.

The figure tore off the car door, ready to finish them off, but when he looked inside they were gone, the only proof of her presence being the hole in the ground whereby they had escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone might show up next chapter... Stay tuned for that and as always, remember to please make yourself noticed down in the comments! Thanks for the read and see you next time :)


	6. The Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter today! Posting two days in a row because I'm eager for you to read this. I've been SUPER motivated to write lately but not so much to study and I think it should be the other way around but oh well.  
> Playlist:  
> It's Been A Long, Long Time - Harry James  
> House of Black and White - Game of Thrones: Season 5 Soundtrack  
> Lemurian Star - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack  
> I Have So Many Questions - Man Of Steel Soundtrack

Steve Rogers came back to his place after hanging out with his new acquaintance, Sam Wilson. He had decided to visit Sam’s workplace, the Department of Veterans Affairs, to watch a group session with veterans suffering from PTSD. When it was over they started talking and later, they decided their conversation should go with some beer. Steve was glad he had met Sam. He was a nice guy, and he had suffered too, just like him. He understood him, and for that, Steve was very grateful.

When he got to the floor his apartment was in, he ran into her neighbor Kate, who was apparently about to do the laundry. Natasha was always telling him to ask girls out, but he never did. He would like to ask Kate, though. She was a very sweet woman and he had wanted to ask her out for some time now, he just couldn’t find the courage. But after his conversation with Sam, he felt like he might be able to do it now, so he did.

“Hey, if you want… If you want, you’re welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement” Steve offered.

“Oh, yeah? What’s it cost?” she asked.

“A cup of coffee?”

 Kate smiled, apologetically. “Thank you, but I already have a load in downstairs and… I really don’t want my scrubs in your machine. I’m just finished orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so…” she said with a grimace.

“Ah, well, I’ll keep my distance” he said with a sheepish grin.

“Well hopefully not too far” she smiled back. She turned around to head to the laundry room, but looked at him again as if she had just remembered something. “Oh and I think you left your stereo on.”

Steve frowned. Now that he listened more carefully, he could hear the music playing inside his apartment. Even though he knew he hadn’t left it on, he tried to act normal.

When Kate left and could no longer see him, he left the building and climbed to his window. He cautiously entered, being able to hear the music better now: It’s Been a Long, Long Time by Harry James was playing. He took his shield and headed to the living room, willing to face whoever had broke into his place.

As he turned the corner, he saw Nick Fury sitting in his couch in the dark. Of course he would break into his apartment. He thought he could do whatever he pleased, without consulting others. That’s how he is.

“I don’t remember giving you a key.”

“You really think I’d need one?” Nick said as he sat up with a slight wince. “My wife kicked me out.”

“Didn’t know you were married.”

“There’re a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“I know Nick. That’s the problem” Steve said as he pushed himself off the wall and switched on the light.

He noticed Fury’s blood-stained clothes and attempted to get closer to him, but he gestured him to stay still and be quiet, turning off the light. He typed something on his phone and then showed it to Steve: _ears everywhere_. Steve looked around the apartment. His damn house was bugged. He wasn’t even surprised anymore, it just pissed him off that it hadn’t occurred to him before.

“I’m sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash” he typed and showed him again: _SHIELD compromised._

“Who else knows about your wife?” the Captain asked.

He showed him his phone, once again. _You, me and V Drake._ Steve furrowed his brow. Who was _V Drake_?

“Just… my friends.”

The director got up from the couch.

“Is that what we are?”

“That’s up to you.”

Suddenly three bullets came through the wall, impacting in Fury’s back and piercing his chest. He collapsed and Steve dragged his body to the other room. When he’s about to leave to look for the shooter, Fury hands him a flash drive.

“Don’t… trust… anyone” he struggled to say before passing out.

The sound of his door being forced open startled Steve, and with a loud bang, it flew open.

“Shit, what happened?” a woman hurried in the apartment, pointing her gun. “Captain Rogers?”

He had perfectly heard her but decided to stay put.

“Captain Rogers, I’m Veronica Drake. I was told to break in and do as necessary if something went wrong.”

Another pair of footsteps made their way into his place.

“Captain? I’m Agent 13 of SHIELD’s Special Service. Wait who are-“

“Kate?” Steve interrupted, shocked to hear her voice there.

Steve came out of his hiding with his SHIELD high and looked at both women pointing their guns at each other. He had never seen the blond woman, dressed in black.

“I am not going to shoot you, please drop your gun.”

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Agent 13 asked her.

“I was told to look after Captain Rogers!” Veronica said, lowering her gun.

“So was I.”

“On whose orders?” Steve spoke up.

“His” Veronica said, putting her gun down as he advanced towards Fury, who lied on the ground in a faint.

“Foxtrot is down, he’s unresponsive. I need EMT’s” Kate contacted SHIELD through her radio.

“What did you say your name was?”

“Veronica Drake” she answered Steve.

“Do we have a twenty on the shooter?” someone said over Kate’s radio.

“Tell him I’m in pursuit. Kate, keep her with Fury wherever you take him. Eyes on her” and with that, he took off, leaving Agent 13 and Veronica with an unconscious Nick Fury.

“So… Kate, right? What do we do now?”

“My name’s Sharon Carter. And right now I’m gonna have to assist him until SHIELD comes to pick us up.”

“Sharon Carter? And why did he call you Kate?”

“I was assigned to watch out for him, but I’m the love of his life’s great niece and it would’ve been a shock if I had told him straight away. Who are you, again?”

Veronica sighed. “Veronica Drake. I’m Fury’s… _Associate_ , you could say. I was filling him in about something of interest to him when we got attacked.”

“Something of interest to him as in…?”

“That is classified” she answered with a frown.

Maybe Sharon truly was on SHIELD’s side, but she couldn’t take the risk. There was too much at stake, and with Fury severely injured, she was afraid that her only chance of getting back at HYDRA was slipping out of her fingers. If something happened to him, she hoped that at least SHIELD’s best agents knew where their loyalty lied.

 

* * *

 

Fury was undergoing surgery. Agent Carter had left Veronica in the adjacent room to the OR, from where she could see what the doctors were doing. She looked closely at everything they did, worried that something would go wrong any minute.

What was she going to do if Fury didn’t make it? She was on her own. She didn’t know who she could trust, she hadn’t even been sure that she could trust Fury, but she guessed it was her only hope. If he died then who would she turn t-

“You’re going to tell me everything he told you, and why you were with him in the first place. I don’t know who you are or what part you take in all of this but I want answers, and I want them _now_.”

Captain Rogers stormed into the room and blurted out his speech. Veronica turned to face him and furrowed her brow, slightly annoyed by the way he spoke to her. He might be a Captain America, but he certainly was _not_ her boss and had no right to talk to her like that. Still, given the situation, she understood he was under a lot of pressure so she decided not to hold it against him. He had spoken too loud, and Veronica quieted him.

“Would you speak more quietly? You don’t know who’s on our side, anyone could’ve heard you.”

Steve snorted. “ _Our_ side? I don’t even know you, how can I be sure we’re on the same side?”

“Because I’m the one who told Fury SHIELD was compromised” she stated.

“How did you know?” the soldier asked, crossing his arms.

“I ran into a HYDRA agent a few days ago. I forced him to tell me what they were up to, and he told me they were going to launch Project Insight. He said Nick Fury and you were both the main targets.”

“HYDRA?” Steve’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “HYDRA is gone. It has since the 40s.”

Veronica shook her head. “Cut off one head, two more shall take its place” she quoted.

“I don’t believe you for a second. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, and when I found out you’re lying, you will have to answer for your-“

“Is he gonna make it?”

A red-haired woman entered the room, hurrying towards the glass that separated both rooms. Veronica recognized her as Natasha Romanoff, known as the Black Widow. They had all become public figures after de New York alien invasion, and although Veronica hadn’t been home at the time, she caught up later with the whole thing. She was glad Natasha had interrupted them, because Steve seemed like he had decided to terminate their conversation.

“I don’t know” he answered honestly, looking through the glass.

“Tell me about the shooter” Natasha requested.

“He’s fast and strong. Had a metal arm.”

Another woman got in the room. Veronica had seen her face on Fury’s car computer when he tried to reach Agent Hill, so she guessed that was her.

“Ballistics?” the red-headed asked the newcomer.

“Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable.”

Veronica’s brow furrowed. “Soviet-made.”

Natasha glanced questioningly at her, and so did Hill.

“Who are you?”

That question was starting to get on her nerves.

“Veronica Drake. Fury’s… informant.”

A beeping sound abruptly rang in their ears, all of them focusing back on Nick. His heart was stopping, and Veronica felt like hers was about to do the same. The doctors were doing everything they could, but Fury’s heart wasn’t beating anymore. Everyone’s hopes crumbled down, Agent Hill holding back tears and Steve and Natasha staring blankly at their dead boss and friend. Veronica’s eyes were burning and her nails were stuck in the palm of her hands. Her chance was gone now. Feeling the panic attack about to break out, she stormed out of the room and looked for the restroom as fast as she could.

She threw up and collapsed on the floor afterwards. Her head and her hands were hot, and she was sweating. Her chest felt heavy and her ears rang again. What was she going to do now? Fury was dead, and SHIELD was actually HYDRA. She had no one to turn to. He was his last resource to take down HYDRA, and now the undercover agents that didn’t know who she was would probably find out she was alive. They would chase her wherever she went and probably kill her family before they killed her. She was having trouble breathing and her whole body felt numb. She couldn’t move, paralyzed by the fear her thoughts were causing her. She had to stop this, she had to get away from there or they would get her.

 _None of this is real,_ Veronica thought to herself. _This is a panic attack. I have to breathe. I need to breathe._

Letting her head rest against the wall she closed her eyes and took in deep breaths, telling herself over and over again that she wasn’t going to die. It was just a panic attack. She had had those since she found the Box, but none of them had been so terrifying.

When she felt better, she flushed the toilet and left the restroom. She walked through the corridors until she saw Steve, Natasha and Maria Hill looking at Fury’s body. Natasha walked past Steve and left the room they were in, but he went after her.

“Natasha” he called.

“What was Fury doing in your apartment?”

“I don’t know” Steve answered.

Natasha noticed Veronica’s presence behind him and spoke to her.

 “How convenient he got attacked when he was with you. He never mentioned you.”

“There’s a lot Fury kept to himself” Veronica retorted.

“Don’t think because he’s dead I can’t find out. Because I will.”

“Cap, they want you back at SHIELD.”

Veronica faced the voice behind her. She didn’t know the man, but he gave her a bad feeling. She could sense his intentions weren’t good.

“Yeah, give me a second.”

“They want you _now_ ” the agent urged.

Steve glared at him, containing his irritation.

“Okay.”

The man left, and Steve focused his attention back on Natasha.

“You’re a terrible liar” she stated, walking off without sparing another glance at Veronica.

Veronica stared at Steve as he watched Natasha leave. The agent had said they wanted him at SHIELD urgently, and she knew why. She realized that Steve Rogers was now her only hope to take down HYDRA and get back Pandora’s Box. She could not let them hurt him.

“Look out. Don’t forget you’re a target” she said, turning on her heels and leaving.

The soldier turned to look at her, but she was gone. And he was left with a flash drive he could not take back to SHIELD, just in case this woman was telling the truth.

 

* * *

 

 

Veronica had spent all night studying the blueprints of the Triskelion and looking for ways to break into it in case it was necessary. The next morning, she tried her luck and climbed to the smallest roof. She was using binoculars to watch everything that was happening in Fury’s old office, where Rogers was having a conversation with the Secretary of the World Security Council, Alexander Pierce.

So, what was she doing there? Well, she didn’t exactly know. But she was sure they planned to do something to the Captain and if there was anything she could do to stop it, she would. She had to be there to see if things went wrong.

As far as she could tell there were no signs that they were having an aggressive meeting, despite she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She had thought of hacking into the security systems, but she hadn’t had time to catch up on modern computers after five crazy years of instability in her life.

Rogers left the office and called the elevator. Veronica paid attention closely, doubting they would let him leave unharmed. And indeed, something smelt fishy. Every time the elevator stopped, a group of three or four STRIKE agents got in, leaving the Captain cramped next to the glass. She was studying his expression, and even though he was acting like everything was right, she had noticed his small frown when the space started to become crowded. He decided to move forward, closer to the door. Veronica guessed he did it to get off on the next floor. But in the blink of an eye, the STRIKE agents stopped the elevator and held Steve, punching and kicking him. She could see the agent that had urged him to leave the hospital earlier attacking with something that probably was a taser.

Veronica knew she had to do something. She couldn’t get to the elevator, that was for sure, but the crew in the elevator wouldn’t be all. She knew for a fact that there would be agents at every floor, waiting for him to get off. His only way out was to take the leap.

If he jumped he would have to get out of the Theodore Roosevelt Island as fast as he could, and he certainly wouldn’t make it if he had to run, supersoldier or not. And that’s where she came in.

She slid down the wall with the rope she had used to go up, running towards the garage where they kept Steve’s motorbike. She was glad she had at least taken a look at the blueprints, or else it would’ve taken a lot longer to find the vehicle. When she did, she bridged it and drove to where she guessed Steve would fall. She arrived just in time to see him fall, protecting his body with his shield. The motorbike skidded next to him.

“Get on!”

He looked at Veronica, still slightly stun by the fall.

 “What are you doing here?” he yelled over the loud engine noise.

“Just get on!”

He quickly got on the motorbike, wrapping his arms loosely around her. It was kind of awkward for him and she could sense it, although she wasn’t sure if what she could sense was her own self-consciousness.

“You were right, HYDRA is alive” he admitted.

“Yeah, tell me about it” Veronica said as the wind started gusting, tousling her hair.

Then they noticed the gust of wind was caused by a quinjet that flew in front of them.

“Stand down, Captain Rogers. Stand down” someone said through the quinjet’s speaker as they lowered a machine gun. “Repeat, stand down.”

“They’re gonna start shooting!”

“I’ll handle this” Steve said, throwing his shield at one of the quinjet turbines. “Keep driving, I’ll be right back” and with that he jumped from the motorbike.

As he reached the quinjet, the machine gun started firing at her. Veronica dodged the bullets as fast as she could, and at the same time Steve damaged the jet to break it down. When she saw it was about to plummet on her, she sped up and picked up Steve right next to where he had landed. He got on the bike again and they took off.

“I need you to take me to the hospital.”

“What? Are you hurt?” she immediately asked.

“No, but there’s something I need to gather.”

They stopped on a retail store, where Veronica bought clothes and a backpack for Steve. Their next stop was a gas station. Steve used the restroom to change his clothes and put his suit in the backpack. The cashier was so caught up in his phone that he didn’t even notice him getting in and out of the store. The rest of the way to the hospital they were silent, as it had been before. Veronica wanted to start a little chitchat, just to break the ice, but the man had just found out he had died for nothing. Everything he ever believed in was corrupted, so she decided not to take her chances and just stay quiet until they got to the hospital.

“I won’t be long” Steve said once they arrived, heading towards the door.

“Whoa, whoa, wait. You don’t think I’m going to let you go in there alone?”

“Yes?”

“Nuh-uh. I’m coming with you. Last time I let you out of my sight you were attacked.”

“So what, you’re just gonna follow me everywhere now? I can handle myself.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second, but there might still be agents in there and I want to be able to help in case things go south. So, I’m coming with, end of the story.”

The soldier sighed. He didn’t want her too close to him. He didn’t know her, or what she was capable of. He still didn’t understand what she was doing with Fury when he got attacked in the first place. For all he knew, she could’ve been the one who beat him up and then dropped him off at his apartment. But again, why had she told him about HYDRA infiltrating SHIELD? What would she gain out of it?

The sight of the vending machine kicked him out of his thoughts: the flash drive was gone. Veronica frowned, looking at his troubled expression, and then she spotted Natasha turning the corner and standing behind Steve. She was chewing gum, and for some unknown reason to Veronica that annoyed him very much, because he pushed the Russian into a room. The blond followed them, making sure nobody had seen them, and closed the door.

“Where is it?” Steve demanded Natasha, holding her arms so she wouldn’t move.

“Safe.”

“Do better.”

“Where did you get it?”

They started a tennis game kind of argument, and Veronica had no clue what it was about. Apparently Fury had given something to Steve and Natasha had taken it. Steve wanted it back but neither of them seemed to know what the thing was important for, because they didn’t know what was _on it._ Veronica guessed they talked about some kind of memory device, like a flash drive or something. Then they mentioned something about pirates and she gave up trying to understand what they were talking about, until Natasha said something she recognized.

“I know who killed Fury. Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier.”

Veronica shuddered at the sound of the name. She hadn’t heard it in years, but it still gave her chills.

“He’s credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last _fifty_ years.”

“So he’s a ghost story” Steve determined.

“I heard of him. HYDRA talked about him a lot. Not many of the operatives had had the opportunity to meet him, but the ones who did said he was lethal. Infallible. Untraceable. They kept him frozen in suspended animation. But that’s what I was told, anyway I never- I never actually saw it. Or him”.

Veronica cleared her throat, uncomfortable by what she had just said. Now they were probably wondering why she knew so much about HYDRA, and she definitely didn’t want to talk about it right now. Steve glanced at her, furrowing his brow.

“How do you-“

“Going after him is a dead end. I know, I’ve tried.” Natasha’s eyes lingered on Veronica a bit too long, and then her eyes fixed back on Steve, holding up the flash driver. “Like you said, he’s a ghost story.”

Steve took the flash driver from her. “Well, let’s find out what the ghost wants.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think about this! Any questions I'll be happy to answer on the comments. I'd like to make clear that in order for Veronica to get into SHIELD's and the Avengers' circle I need to get her into the movies as well, although as the story goes by you'll see she has a plot of her own that I hope will fit in the MCU's. Don't forget to make yourself noticed, it makes me sooooosososoSO happy!!!


	7. The Texan Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:
> 
> Freddie's World - House Of Cards: Season 2 Soundtrack  
> Time To Suit Up - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack  
> Power Surge - Veigar Margeirsson

**Freddie's World - House Of Cards: Season 2 Soundtrack**

The trio went to a shopping mall, looking for an Apple store to access to the information on the USB. They were all dressed in civilian’s clothes now, blending in with the crowd. Veronica had put her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing glasses. So was Steve, with a cap on, while Natasha just wore a hood. They walked nonchalantly trying not to draw attention towards them. When they made it to the Apple store, Natasha plugged in the flash drive under Steve and Veronica’s glance.

“The drive has a level six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are” Natasha said.

“How much time do we have?” Steve asked her.

“Uh… About nine minutes since I plug it in.”

“I’ll go for a stroll and see if anyone from SHIELD gets here.”

The red headed and the soldier nodded and Veronica left the shop. It didn’t take long for her to spot four SUVs parking in front of the mall, all their passengers getting out of the vehicles. They were dressed in black civilian clothes and split up in small groups when they got in. Veronica jogged back to the shop and walked up to Steve and Natasha.

“They’re here” she said looking at the computer screen. “We good to go?”

“Not yet. Just a minute” the spy typed swiftly.

“Can I help you guys with anything?” an employee approached them.

“Oh, no. My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations.”

“Right. We’re getting married” Steve awkwardly said.

“And I’m her sister” Veronica blurted out. The employee looked at her and back at Natasha, not finding any resemblance. “In law. Right, bro? Mama’s boy finally getting married!” she smiled putting her arm around him in a small hug.

“Yeah” he seconded.

The employee seemed weirded out, but played it cool and focused the conversation on the honeymoon thing.

“Okay… Congratulations! Where do you guys think about going?”

Steve tried to cover the screen with his body but the employee saw what it said.

“New Jersey.”

“Oh” the guy simply said. He stared for a while at Steve and Veronica freaked that he had recognized him. “I have the _exact_ same glasses.”

“Wow, you two are practically twins!” Veronica said excitedly, relieved that he hadn’t noticed.

“Yeah, I wish” the man giggled. He gestured towards Steve as if saying _look at him_. “Specimen. Uh… If you guys need anything, I’ve been Aaron.”

Steve thanked him and then Aaron walked away. Veronica has to let out the laugh she had been holding back. Steve looked at her.

“ _Specimen_ ” she mimicked.

He shook his head, still uncomfortable for the man’s remark, and both of them looked at Natasha’s task.

“Natasha you said nine minutes, they’re already here. We’ve got to go” Veronica hurried.

“Shh, relax. Got it.”

The screen showed a map that zoomed in New Jersey, specifically Wheaton. Steve frowned.

“You know it?” Natasha asked him.

“I used to. Let’s go.”

Steve pulled the flash drive out of the computer and they walked out of the store, headed towards the exit.  He scanned the area looking for agents, and when he spotted two of them he presented a whole tactic, but Veronica interrupted him.

“There’s no need to engage. Put your arm around Natasha, I’ll act like I’m talking on the phone.”

“Laugh at something I said” Natasha whispered.

They did as agreed and the agents passed by, not even noticing them. Steve looked behind them to check if they were being followed and they made their way to the escalator.

“Over there” Veronica warned them when she sighted one of the men who had attacked Steve on the elevator.

“Rumlow” the Russian said, turning to Steve. “Kiss me.”

“What?”

Natasha rolled her eyes at Veronica. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

“Yes they do!”

“Just kiss her!” Veronica hissed.

She pushed Steve’s head towards Natasha’s and they kissed. Veronica looked aside, and thankfully Natasha was right: Rumlow looked away when he saw them kissing and went passed them on the escalator. The blond woman let out a breath and the other two broke apart, as Natasha started to walk down the escalator.

“You still uncomfortable?” she asked Steve.

“It’s not exactly the word I would use.”

“I know I am” Veronica remarked.

 

* * *

 

 

“Where did you learn how to steal a car?” Natasha inquired.

“During my rebellious teen phase. I got my belly button pierced as well.”

“Hey, we’re borrowing. Take your feet off the dash” Steve said from the backseat.

“I think now may be a good time for you to tell us more about yourself, Veronica” Natasha suggested.

Veronica shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“What were you doing with Fury when he got attacked?”

“I found out SHIELD was compromised. HYDRA had their agents undercover and they were launching some project Fury thought he knew about, but he didn’t. They led him to believe something else, but their plan was to wipe out any potential threat for HYDRA before it caused them any trouble. Fury and the Captain among others.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. The guy I interrogated didn’t know many details.”

“How did you run into a HYDRA agent in the first place?”

“I was in Ukraine and I just recognized him.”

“So you knew him?” Natasha inquired, to which she nodded. “Why?”

Veronica sighed, squeezing the wheel lightly. “HYDRA held me captive for years. I had lost my memory and they manipulated me at their whim. On one mission, they left me thinking I was dead, but I woke up and I remembered everything. All that I hadn’t been able to remember up until then, included what they had made me do.”

Steve had been quiet for a while, observing Veronica through the rear view mirror. Her sight hadn’t left the road for a second, but he had been able to catch a glimpse of pain in her eyes as she spoke.

“Why did you tell Fury?” he decided to speak. “What would you get out of it?”

“HYDRA took a lot away from me. My family, my friends… Myself” she cleared her throat. “But they took something I was after. Something dangerous. Ever heard of Pandora’s Box?” Steve and Natasha nodded. “My grandfather was a treasure hunter. When he died, he left me all the clues he had been able to gather in order for me to find the Box for him.”

“Your grandfather was Eugene Drake?” Natasha asked, and Veronica nodded. “I followed his work, when I could. When I was allowed. I thought what he did was fascinating.”

 The blond grinned slightly at Natasha and went on with her story. “So that was when I ran into HYDRA. Hit my head, lost my memory, which wasn’t useful for them because they wanted the Box. And when I remembered how to get to it, they made me go and get it. I found it and there was something in it. Something… magical? God, I sound so stupid.”

“You don’t. Keep going” Natasha insisted.

“For some reason, I felt drawn towards the Box. HYDRA had made pretty clear that I couldn’t touch or open it, but I couldn’t help it. So I opened it and inside of it, there was a gemstone. And it emitted light. I had never seen anything like it” she had to stop for a while. It was hard for her to talk about this, she had never told this to anyone before. It brought back a lot of memories, but she tried her best to keep going without sounding upset. “I touched it and I passed out. HYDRA thought I was dead so they abandoned me, and later I woke up. They had taken the Box. HYDRA took many things from me because of that damn Box, and still they had got their way. So at first I was angry, and I wanted to take them down and get back what they owed me. But later I found out the thing inside of the Box had done something to me, and I knew they had something dangerously powerful in their hands.”

“What do you mean it had done _something_ to you?”

“I suddenly knew how to speak multiple languages I hadn’t even heard being spoken. And when I ran into this operative in Ukraine I- I don’t know. I just asked him and he answered without putting up a fight, like I had compelled him. I knew I did that to him. I just don’t know how I did it. I also acquired something like a sixth sense that allows me to feel people’s intentions or-”

“Auras?” the red headed interrupted her.

“I guess that’s what it is.”

“Can you do that now? To us?”

There were no cars on that section of the highway, so Veronica could afford to focus on something else as she drove.

“I can try.”

“Steve, you go.”

“Why me?” he complained.

“Because I am a spy. I don’t want that kind of powers used on me, thanks.”

Steve scoffed. “Okay, what do I have to do?”

“Give me your hand” Veronica asked. Their eyes met through the rear view mirror, and she hesitated, not sure of what she could ask. The question should be one he wouldn’t be up to answering on his own will. “Before I do anything, I feel like you should set some boundaries.”

“Just nothing too… Personal, okay?”

Veronica nodded and held his hand as well as she could, driving with her other hand. She met his gaze on the rear view mirror again. “What did you think of the kiss with Natasha?”

“I kind of enjoyed it.”

Natasha let out a loud chuckle, and Veronica let go of Steve’s hand, looking at him through the rear view mirror. The tips of his ears were red in embarrassment and she couldn’t help but think it was cute, such a big guy being bashful when talking about kisses. Then she focused back on the road.

“Well, that thing definitely did something to you. He would’ve never admitted it out loud otherwise” Natasha mocked.

“I said nothing personal” he raised his eyebrows in annoyance.

“I had to ask you something you wouldn’t willingly answer. It could’ve been worst.”

Steve shrugged and was quiet for a moment. “Even though you’ve used it on me in a rather not helpful way, what you can do is really useful. I want to take HYDRA down too. Help us do it and we’ll see what we can do for you.”

“So far, you’ve proven to be on our side. But you’re still on probation, so don’t screw this up” Natasha smirked.

Veronica nodded. She had one last chance at this and she’d be damned if she fucked this up.

“Alright, moving on. I have a question for you, Rogers. You don’t have to answer, but not answering is kind of an answer in this case too, you know?”

“What?” Steve sighed.

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?” the red headed asked with a smirk.

“That bad huh?”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Well, it kind of _sounds_ like that’s what you’re saying” he retorted.

“ _No_ , I didn’t. I just wondered how much practice you’ve had.”

“You don’t need practice” Veronica intervened.

“Everybody needs practice” Natasha opposed.

“It was not my first kiss since 1945” Steve confessed. “I’m ninety-five, I’m not dead.”

 Veronica let out a chuckle and as they kept chatting, she got lost in her own thoughts. They seemed to have this rapport that she thought was really cool, that made her feel… kind of like the odd one out. But when had she not? That’s what she had felt like her whole life. She always felt like she didn’t fit anywhere. That’s why Helen was her only friend. She had always understood her, she was always her shelter. But now that she was gone, how could she find her place in the world again?

 

* * *

 

 

**Time To Suit Up - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack**

 

“This is it?” Veronica asked stopping the car in front of a fence.

“The file came from these coordinates” Natasha answered.

“So did I” Steve said, looking around.

Veronica spotted a sign that said _Camp Lehigh._ She decided to take the lead and climb over the fence, swiftly jumping to the other side. Natasha did the same after her, and Steve barely even touched the fence when he jumped. It was getting dark. Natasha was somewhere trying to pinpoint where the signal came from. Since the sun was down,Veronica was beginning to be cold, so she zipped up her hoodie. Steve noticed she was shivering lightly.

“You okay there?”

“Yeah. It’s just… No matter how long I’m away from home, I never get used to the cold. It’s normally warm in Austin.”

“So, Texan girl? Houston Astros or Texas Rangers?” he asked.

“My Papa was a huge Houston Astros fan. It runs in my blood. But I’m more of a football person though.”

“Well, football’s good, but baseball is the greatest sport of all times. I used to be a Brooklyn Dodgers fan myself, but then I went missing for seventy years and when I woke up I found out that they had moved to Los Angeles. So I’m a Yankees fan now.”

“The Yankees are good.”

“Yes they are” he answered absentmindedly. They were wandering around, and it was a while until Steve spoke again. “This camp is where I was trained.”

“Changed much?”

“A little.”

Veronica watched him staring at some point of the base. He looked like he as nostalgically remembering his time there, reliving the life he was taken, but at the same time he seemed peaceful. Seeing him at ease for the first time, made her think differently of him. She had thought he was kind of an asshole earlier at the hospital, but the truth is she didn’t think he was. The circumstances made him tense, and she perfectly understood him. Probably in more ways than she realized.

“Thank you for what you did today” Veronica frowned at Steve, not knowing what he was talking about. “Back at the Triskelion, with the whole riot thing. You didn’t have to. I overstepped at the hospital, I was an asshole to you and still you came out to help me.”

She grinned at him. “You don’t have to. I did what had to be done.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I just struggle to trust people, and given the situation-”

“Hey, I get it. It’s okay. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. I don’t really trust you either, but Fury is gone. If HYDRA is to be destroyed, you should be the one to lead. You’re my only and last chance to make them pay for what they did, and if I have to trust you to do it, I will. That’s just how desperate I am. I’m putting all my faith in you. Even if it’s blind.”

Steve scrutinized her face. She was looking at the ground, furrowing her brow. As she spoke he had seen her clenching her fists. This was really important to her, he could see that, and it made him wonder what HYDRA had done to her while they held her captive. Still he decided not to ask her. It was none of his business. After a while, Natasha approached them, breaking the silence.

“This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off.”

Suddenly Steve noticed a building he didn’t remember being there back when he was trained. Natasha followed his glance and her eyes met the building as well.

“What is it?”

“Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place” he said as they all walked towards it.

He used his shield to break the lock. They entered inside and went down the stairs. Veronica turned on the lights, revealing a SHIELD emblem on the wall.

“This is SHIELD” she said.

“Maybe where it started.”

They walked through the facility, analyzing it. They entered a room where they found three framed portraits and the soldier gazed at one of them in particular.

“There’s Stark father” Natasha said.

“Howard” Steve mumbled.

“Who’s the girl?” she asked.

Natasha noted a hint of sadness in his eyes and decided to drop it as he ignored her and walked over to a massive bookshelf, Veronica going after him. They both examined the piece of furniture as if they had had the same idea.

“If you’re already working on a secret office...” Veronica started, trying to push it.

“Why do you need to hide the elevator?” Steve finished as he helped Veronica move the bookshelf.

They distanced from the elevator they had just uncovered and Natasha advanced, using some kind of tech device to open the doors. Most of the technology the spy used seemed like magic to Veronica. She had been good with computers and stuff before HYDRA took her, but when she got away there had been a lot of developments and she hadn’t had the chance to catch up yet.

After using the elevator, its doors opened showing a pitch black room. The three of them moved forward and the elevator doors closed automatically. As they walked the lights came on, revealing a bunch of old looking computers.

“This can’t be the data-point, this technology is ancient” Natasha pointed out.

She noticed a small flash drive port and placed the USB in it, making the ancient computer activate all of a sudden. The rest of the room lit up and they were able to see a whole lot more of data banks.

“Initiate system?” the computer said in a strange voice.

“That is _so_ creepy” Veronica cringed.

Natasha approached the computer and typed _YES_ on the keyboard.

“Shall we play a game?” the blond bellowed.

Natasha turned to look at her and shook her head in disapproval. Veronica smiled sheepishly and turned to Steve.

“It’s from a movie that-”

“Yeah. I saw it.”

The screen abruptly started to work, showing the shape of a face Steve found familiar. A male voice with thick German accent started to speak as the camera above the screen moved as if it was scanning each of them.

“Rogers, Steven. Born 1918. Drake, Veronica Jane. Born 1985. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born 1984.”

“It’s some kind of recording” Natasha observed.

**Power Surge - Veigar Margeirsson**

“I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am” it said, showing a picture of a man on one of the monitors.

“You know this thing?” Veronica asked Steve, crept out.

He started to walk around the computer. “Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He’s been dead for years.”

“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I’ve never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.”

“How did you get here?”

“Invited.”

“It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value” Natasha deduced.

“They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.”

“HYDRA died with the Red Skull” Steve countered.

“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place” Zola quoted.

“Prove it.”

“Accessing archive.”

Then the computer started to play old footage of the war. Steve was in some of them, but the computer was explaining HYDRA’s history. She saw the face of Johann Schmidt, or Red Skull as they addressed him, for the first time. Veronica didn’t have to look twice at his image to be sure that she despised him. Zola was telling them how HYDRA had never died, it grown within SHIELD after the war, like a parasite. He showed how they had taken care of those who wouldn’t cooperate, like Tony Stark’s parents, and covered it up afterwards. He displayed a picture of Fury’s file with a stamp on it that said _deceased._

She felt sick to her stomach. It wasn’t just her life they had ruined. They had wrecked and taken the lives of thousands of people and they still had managed to get their way every single time.

“We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life: a zero sum.”

Steve suddenly punched the screen in anger, breaking it. Zola’s face popped up in another screen. Veronica was seething with anger. Her heart was pounding and she felt like all her blood had gone to her ears. She was so consumed by the anger she was trembling and she wanted Zola to shut up because she felt like she might lose control any moment now and she didn’t know what could happen. Her body wasn’t aware of what was happening around her anymore.

 “Guys, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.”

“Who fired it?” Steve questioned.

“SHIELD” Natasha turned to Veronica, seeing her fists and jaw clenched. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked completely out of it. “Veronica? Are you okay?”

“We gotta get out of here, so I need you to calm down!”

But she couldn’t calm down. She could hear what they said, but she wasn’t listening. Veronica was far too deep in her own rage. She was done feeling powerless because of HYDRA.

Natasha unplugged the USB as fast as she could and Steve reached for the metal door that covered a hole on the ground they could take cover in, but it was too late. He covered Natasha, Veronica and himself with his shield to keep them from harm as far as possible, but he knew it wasn’t enough.

“I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain” Zola spoke again. “Admit it, it’s better this way. We are both of us… out of time.”

“Shut up!” Veronica yelled at the top of her lungs.

All at once, a beam of light emerged from behind the shield, blinding both Steve and Natasha. For a few seconds, everything was silent. Nothing happened. The place was supposed to crumble down upon them after the missile exploded, but there was no rubble, there was no fire. There was no pain. And when they opened their eyes, they realized the building had collapsed everywhere but on top of them, Veronica lying unconscious on the ground.

The sound of someone coming made Natasha and Steve look at each other, the last one taking Veronica’s body in his arms and running before the STRIKE team arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some actual conversation between Veronica and our heros! Hope you enjoyed this, don't forget to leave a comment to let me know what you think and if you have any questions, ask away! I will be glad to answer any comments. Stay tuned for more!


	8. The Riot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than expected but my final exams are this week and I didn't want to spend too much time writing or else I wouldn't study. Gosh I really wish I had emojis in here, makes my messages feel empty. Anyways, this one's long to make up for the time I was missing. Make yourself noticed in the comments!
> 
> Playlist:  
> Look At What The Light Did Now - Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White  
> Voodoo Chile - Calli Malpas  
> The Winter Soldier - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Soundtrack

Sam had just arrived from the VA when there was a knock on his door. He looked at the door, thinking how odd it was that someone visited him at this hour. He decided to look through the blinds of the window in the kitchen before opening it, and as soon as he saw what was waiting on his doorstep, he headed for the door.

“Man, what is going on?” he asked, letting the three people in.

“I’m sorry about this. We need a place to lay low and I didn’t know where else to go” Steve apologized.

“Everyone we know is trying to kill us” Natasha said.

“Not everyone. Come in, hurry. The bedroom’s that way, you can lay her down in bed” Sam offered, gesturing towards the corridor. Steve nodded and followed his indications. “What happened to the girl?”

“We think she passed out from extreme stress and exhaustion. A building was about to collapse upon us and she stopped it. On her own” Natasha told him.

“What do you mean _stopped it_?”

“Do you want a specific explanation?”

Sam shrugged. “Yeah?” he hesitated.

“A beam of light burst out of her and protected us as a force field.”

The ex airman ran a hand through his hair and blinked a couple times. “It’s definitely too late for me to be awake. Do you want something to eat?”

 

* * *

 

 

Veronica’s whole body ached when she woke up, but she felt at peace. The day before she had been so furious when she passed out that she doubted she would reach that anger level any time soon. She looked around and she couldn’t recognize the place, which freaked her out. She got out of the bed hurriedly but relaxed when she saw the Captain coming out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel.

“How are you?” he said.

She felt ashamed of how she had reacted. She found it extremely difficult to answer him without crying because she felt stupid. She felt stupid that they had witnessed such a ridiculous and pathetic behavior. They needed her to keep it together, she knew that.

“I’m _radiant_. Pun absolutely intended.”

Steve smiled, lowering his gaze to his hands. He left the towel in the bathroom and squatted in front of her.

“I guess there’s more to what that stone did to me than I knew.”

“Looks like it.”

They fell silent for a second. She wanted to make very clear that her lack of awareness about what the thing had done to her would not be an issue again. She had a goal, and she knew her limits now. At least she hoped those were her limits. She wouldn’t let her emotions get the best of her again, that was for sure.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. But it’s fine, _I’m_ fine. Is it weird that I work like a human flashlight? Yes. But now that I know, I can avoid what happened yesterday and things will never go that far again” Veronica blurted.

“You thought I was going to reprimand you?” he let out a small laugh. “None of what happened was your fault. If you hadn’t done what you did the building would’ve squashed us and it wouldn’t’ve been your fault. If anything, you saved us.”

Veronica shook her head, guilt aching in her chest. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

“What doesn’t?”

“Me, being surrounded by people who don’t… I don’t know, treat me like shit.”

“I don’t know what HYDRA did to you while they kept you, but I can assure you, you didn’t deserve _any_ of it” Steve said, looking at her straight in the eye. “And I’m always honest.”

“Thank you, Captain” she answered sincerely.

“Don’t call me that. Steve’s fine.”

She nodded and went quiet for a second, then spoke again, a smirk playing on her lips. “Well, _Steve_ , you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out they died for nothing.”

“Well, I guess I just like to know who I’m fighting” he grinned.

“I told you so” she said rolling her eyes.

“I made breakfast. If you guys… eat that sort of thing. Your friend with the red hair definitely does, she’s already razed half of my fridge” Sam announced from the corridor.

“Get ready ‘cause I’mma raze what’s left of it” Veronica claimed getting up. “You coming?”

“Right behind you.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?”

They all sat in Sam’s kitchen as Veronica finished her breakfast, which seemed to have no ending. They were trying to come up with a plan to set the take-down in motion. A name came to Steve’s mind.

“Pierce.”

“Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world.”

“But he’s not working alone. Zola’s algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.”

Sam and Veronica were having some trouble keeping up with the conversation since they didn’t know most of the people or events that they were talking about, but they were following.

“So was Jasper Sitwell” Natasha noted. “It pisses me off that they did all of this under our noses and we didn’t even notice.”

“So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?” Veronica lied out.

“You mean three” Natasha corrected. “They want you as well.”

“No, I mean _two_. I’m just wanted, you’re the two most wanted. I don’t think they even know who I am yet.”

“Back to the subject,” Sam interrupted “the answer is: you don’t.”

He dropped a file on the table and Steve reached for it.

“What’s this?” he inquired.

“Call it a resume.”

Natasha picked up a picture from the file.

“Is this Bakhmala? Khalid Khandil mission, that was you” she gestured towards Sam. “You didn’t say he was a para-rescue” she said to Steve.

“Is this Riley?” Steve asked looking at the man next to Sam in the picture.

“Yeah.”

“I heard they couldn’t bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?” Natasha kept on about the mission.

“No, he used these” Veronica said, handing the file she had been taking a look at to Steve.

The file held a good amount of information and designs of a prototype of wings, along with pictures of Sam actually flying with them.

“I thought you said you were a pilot” Steve told Sam, perplexed.

“I never said pilot” Sam smiled.

“I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.”

“Dude, Captain America needs my help. There’s no better reason to get back in” he countered, and that seemed to convince the super soldier.

“Where can we get our hands on one of these things?”

“The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall.”

Steve looked questioningly at Natasha, who shrugged, and then at Veronica.

“Easy-peasy” she smirked.

“Shouldn’t be a problem” Steve concluded, throwing down the file on the table.

 

* * *

 

 

Natasha, Steve and Veronica waited in a car outside the building in which Jasper Sitwell had had a meeting with Senator Stern. Sam was supposed to call him, and in Sitwell’s phone it would look like Alexander Pierce was the one calling him. Then Sam would talk him into doing as he was told and they would be able to hear everything through their earpieces so they knew what was going on.

The agent exited the building along with the senator, as the last one leaned into his ear to say something. Then he left, leaving Sitwell with a couple bodyguards who left shortly after. That’s when Sam came into play: Jasper looked at his phone and picked up after checking the caller ID.

“ _Yes, sir”_

_“Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious.”_

_“Who is this?”_ Sitwell asked petrified.

 _“The good looking guy in the sunglasses, your ten o’clock”_ the agent looked around but still couldn’t see Sam. _“Your other ten o’clock.”_

He spotted him sitting in a terrace a few feet away from him, drink in hand, and Sam raised his glass as he sassed. _“There you go.”_

_“What do you want?”_

_“You’re gonna go around the corner, to your right. There’s a grey car, two spaces down. You and I are gonna take a ride.”_

_“And why would I do that?”_

_“Because that tie looks really expensive and I’d hate to mess it up.”_

When Sitwell noticed the red laser light pointed at his chest, his eyes went wide. He looked everywhere, trying to locate the sniper, but he couldn’t. They saw him following Sam’s commands and disappear right around the corner. Steve started the car and headed for the meeting point. Veronica burst out in laughter, switching off the laser pointer.

“He actually bought it was a sniper. Jeez, if he had a brain, it’d die of loneliness. What a jerk.”

Natasha let out a chuckle and Steve grinned in amusement, but after that they were silent for the rest of the ride. When they got to the building they were meeting Sam, they got out of the car and saw the grey car parked in front of the door. Steve opened the car door and grabbed Sitwell’s arm tightly.

“Hello, Captain Rogers.”

“Shut up” he ordered.

Sam stayed in the car, as they made their way to the top of the building. Natasha and Veronica followed Steve closely behind as he dragged the fake SHIELD agent to the top of the building. When they reached the rooftop, Steve pushed Sitwell against the door, bursting it open as he fell to the ground.

“Tell me about Zola’s algorithm.”

“Never heard of it” Jasper sputtered.

“What were you doing in the Lemurian Star?” Steve kept talking towards him, making him walk nearer the edge of the rooftop.

“I was throwing up, I get seasick” Sitwell stumbled when he met the edge.

The super soldier grabbed him by his jacket and glared angrily at him, as if he was going to throw him off the roof, but Sitwell looked nowhere near scared when he smiled.

“Is this little display meant to insinuate that you’re gonna throw me off the roof? Because it’s really not your style, Rogers.”

“You’re right, it’s not. It’s hers.”

And with that Steve stepped aside to let Natasha kicked the agent in the chest, making him plummet from the height of the building as he let out a piercing cream.

“Oh, wait. What about that girl from accounting, Laura…?” Natasha started again, trying to remember the girl’s name. She was restlessly attempting to talk Steve into dating someone even though he refused, and Veronica found it quite amusing.

“Lillian” Steve said. “Lip piercing, right?”

“Yeah, she’s cute.”

“Yeah, I’m not ready for that” he shrugged.

“Man, but lip piercings are _so_ cool. I got one on my tongue when I was 18, pierced it myself. You don’t wanna know. It was _messy,_ I’ll tell you that” Veronica rambled.

Steve twisted his mouth in disgust as Sam appeared in his Falcon suit, flying up with Sitwell in his grasp. Sam threw him down and landed, Jasper still recomposing from the forced landing. Veronica tried not to gape at Sam’s wings, which was pretty difficult for her. She followed Natasha and Steve, who were approaching Sitwell. He held up his hand in fear.

“Zola’s algorithm is a program… for choosing Insight’s targets” he blurted out.

“What targets?” Steve demanded.

“You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange… Her” he pointed at Veronica.

“Me?” she gasped.

“Vovk said you were alive. You could’ve been useful for HYDRA if you hadn’t touched the Box, but there’s no coming back from where you are now. Project Insight will take care of anyone who’s a threat to HYDRA. Now… or in the future.”

“Future? How could it know?”

Sitwell laughed. “How could it not? The 21s century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it” he said as he rose to his feet. “Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola’s algorithm evaluates people’s past to predict their future.”

“And what then?” Steve asked.

“Oh my god, Pierce is gonna kill me” the agent muttered to himself.

“What then?!” Veronica inquired, grabbing him by the tie.

“Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time.”

Natasha looked at Veronica, who was still holding Sitwell as if she wanted to choke him, and then at Steve, who was staring at him as if he wanted Veronica to do it.

“Veronica, let him go. We need him” she said as she lightly shoved her away from the man. Then she looked at him dead in the eye. “Now, anyway. Maybe later you can have some fun.”

 

* * *

 

“HYDRA doesn’t like leaks.”

“Then why don’t you try sticking a cork in it” Sam taunted.

They were driving back to the Triskelion to try and stop the launch of Project Insight. Sam drove, Steve sitting next to him. In the backseat Natasha sat between Veronica and Sitwell, just in case the blond tried to rip the man’s head.

“Insight’s launching in sixteen hours, we’re cutting it a little bit close here” Natasha said.

“I know. We’ll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly” Steve determined.

“What?! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, _terrible_ idea” Sitwell disagreed.

Suddenly something landed on the car roof, breaking the window Sitwell was sitting next to and pulling him through it. He was sent flying into the oncoming traffic and a lorry run him over. Natasha and Veronica had seen it all, and then the Russian noticed whoever had killed Sitwell had a gun, she pushed Veronica to the front seat and she slid to where the HYDRA agent had been sitting. Two shots came through the rooftop but neither hit Natasha. Veronica sat on Steve’s lap and pressed his head against her body when she saw the bullet about to hit him. Sam had to dodge another one. Steve abruptly pulled the break handle and the shooter dropped down onto the street, landing almost gracefully.

“It’s him” Veronica breathed out, pulling out her gun to shoot him.

A car smashed into theirs, making her drop the weapon as they were pushed along towards the shooter.

“Nat, you okay back there?” Steve shouted over the screeching noise.

“As okay as I can be!”

“Sam are you even driving?!” Veronica said.

“I _try_ to” he shouted back.

The shooter jumped back onto the car, shattering the rear window as he did. Veronica was trying to get hold of her gun again when the man smashed the windscreen and pulled out the steering wheel. Sam cursed and she finally reached the pistol and started shooting. They had no way to control the car and they had to get out of it. Steve thought quickly, urging Natasha to get to the front seat with Sam.

“They are going to bump against the car again, you need to hold onto the door so it shields you when you fall. I’m going to give you a push” he announced.

Just like he said the car crashed into theirs again, and as it collided against the crash barrier Steve pushed them and the door detached from the vehicle.

“Hang on!” he said to Veronica as he pulled her close, banging the door with his shield.

They slid a few feet and when the door slowed down, they got up and looked at the vehicle that was after them. The SUV stopped and the shooter got off the hood, at the same time a man got out of the car and gave him a huge gun. The shooter was the same that had caused Fury’s SUV crash and the one who had taken his life: the Winter Soldier. Veronica knew from experience that this man’s weapons were all but harmless, so she looked around here for somewhere to take cover, but when she turned to Steve the Winter Soldier fired. She ran behind a car and screamed at Steve to take cover. He used protected himself with his shield, the bomb impacting against it and making him fly out of the bridge. The HYDRA agents started shooting at them, and Veronica made her way as best as she could towards were Sam was. Natasha kept the Winter Soldier busy, and everyone seemed so concerned with the two Avengers that Sam and Veronica thought they had forgotten about them, which was good. All of the agents were on the road under the bridge now, and they thought it would be a good moment to get to some place where they couldn’t be seen to help their companions. However, when they were going to leave their hideout Sam spotted another agent still on the bridge, looking down and about to jump off. He was really close to their position and when Veronica attempted to ask what he was doing, Sam hushed her. She peeked around the car and when she saw the agent carrying a rifle, she rolled her eyes at Sam. She flicked her wrist and showed Sam a blade.

“Why do you have _that_?” he whispered.

“I always carry one just in case.”

Sam tried to prevent her from approaching the man, but she ignored him and did it anyway. Veronica kicked the agent on the back of his knee making him lose his balance, and when he turned to face her she cut his chest with the blade, taking his rifle before kicking his chest, the man falling off the bridge. She turned to Sam and smiled triumphantly, to which he scoffed.

“Gimme that” he said taking the rifle from her grasp.

“Fine,” she acceded “but only because I’m better at hand-to-hand.”

“Sure thing.”

Veronica used the rope the agent she had knocked out was going to use to descend. On her way down she saw she was going to land on top of a car, where another agent shot at Steve with a machine gun. The super soldier headed towards him, wielding his shield to protect himself from the bullets, and before he could reach the man with the shooting gun, Veronica jumps onto the man’s back, her legs each side of his head. She tried to choke him with his thighs but when he attempted to get her off his back she punched him on the temple, knocking him out. Steve breathed out and looked at Veronica, as she returned a crooked grin. They both took cover behind a car to avoid getting injured in the crossfire between Sam and the Winter Soldier. Steve looked at Sam, who looked back at him.

“Go, I got this!” Sam shouted.

The Captain turned to Veronica, who expected orders from him.

“Now we clear the area. Get civilians as far as possible” he commanded.

“I’ll find Natasha on my way” she said.

Steve nodded and they went separate ways as the gunfire went on. Veronica looked for Natasha while she ran through the streets, warning as many civilians as she could.

“Get out of here! Clear the area, please, go somewhere safe!” she yelled.

All of a sudden she heard a blast and turned to see a ball of fire in the next street. She spotted the Winter Soldier and Natasha came out of the blue and engaged him. Natasha held onto his back and tried to choke him with a cable, but he threw her off, her body slamming against a car. When he picked up his gun to shoot at her she threw a taser disk onto his prosthetic arm, causing a short-circuit. She took advantage of it and ran off towards Veronica.

“Get out of the way! Stay out of the way!” she screamed as she ran.

But she didn’t get too far: she yelped when she got shot in her shoulder and fell to the ground, looking at Veronica, who gasped and approached her quickly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Look at me and keep breathing. I need you to let me see that” Veronica urged, but her focus changed onto the man who had just jumped on the car behind the one they were using as cover.

He aimed the weapon at them and this time Veronica thought that was it. Something caught the Winter Soldier’s eye and made him turn away from them, throwing a punch at something they couldn’t see from their position, but they could hear. A loud metallic bang announced Steve’s presence as the metal arm collided against his shield. Having the Winter Soldier occupied gave Veronica the opportunity to finally deal with Natasha’s wound.

“It burns” she hissed.

“You need to take that jacket off” Veronica helped her do so and examined the wound, trying not to touch it so to avoid infections. “Shit, Natasha, it went right through. It isn’t bleeding that much though, so I don’t think it damaged anything… important.”

“That doesn’t sound convincing.”

“Well, I’m only guessing here. Wait” Veronica ripped off her left sleeve and torn the seam. She wrapped it tightly around Natasha’s shoulder, simulating a bandage as best as she could. “There. Best we can do for now.”

“How do you know how to do this?”

“Well, treasure hunters are not usually as licit as me or my grandfather. They want something for their profit and they do whatever it takes to get it. I’ve been shot quite a few times, myself. My colleagues helped me out, and I helped them when it was the other way around. That’s what partnership’s all about, really.”

“So that’s what we are? Colleagues?” Natasha asked.

“I’ll let you decide that when we make it out of here” Veronica grinned. Natasha returned the gesture.

“Thank you.”

A loud thud was heard and everything felt silent. Veronica, startled, peeked over the car and saw the Winter Soldier’s mask on the floor between him and Steve, a few feet away from each other. The man turned to Steve and when he saw his face, the Captain gaped, looking utterly confused. For a second, a glint of familiarity crossed the man’s eyes, but it immediately turned into a bitter glare.

“Bucky?” Steve said.

For a second, a glint of familiarity crossed the man’s eyes, but it immediately turned into a bitter glare.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” he asked pointing the gun at Steve.

Without warning Sam flew in, kicking Bucky aside. Veronica made a run for the grenade launcher he had dropped before, just in time to see him getting up and aiming at Steve again. But there was something different. He didn’t look threatening or dangerous; he looked genuinely scared, and it made Veronica’s chest ache. She could see herself in his eyes. She knew he didn’t want to shoot, but she also knew he would. And as much as it pained her to pull the trigger, she couldn’t let him hurt Steve, so she shot the car and blew it up.

When the smoke screen cleared off, he was nowhere to be found. Sirens were heard heading their way, and numerous black vans accumulated around them. The STRIKE crew got out of the vehicles with their weapons held up, Rumlow leading them.

“Drop the shield Cap! On your knees! Get on your knees, now!” he barked, kicking the back of Steve’s knee.

Every member of the team aimed the riffle at him, and Veronica was about to panic. If they killed him too, it was over for her. Although now that they had them, maybe it really was over for her, even if they didn’t kill Steve.

“Don’t shoot him, you bastards! Lower your guns, for fucks sake!” she yelled. Two STRIKE agents pushed her violently against the car to restrain her. “Don’t touch me you piece of shit! Don’t you fucking touch me!” she kicked one of the men in his crotch with her heel, causing the other to punch her and break her lip.

Rumlow looked up at the news’ helicopter above of them. “Put the gun down. Not here” the man he was talking too didn’t seem to listen to him. “Not here!”

He finally lowered the weapon and the agents started handcuffing the rest of them. They got them in the back of a prison van and started the drive towards the Triskelion.

They were quiet for some time. Natasha was trying not to think about her wound and Sam was just mad that they had got them. Veronica couldn’t get off his mind the look of Bucky’s eyes as the battle between his own self and the Winter Soldier took place in his head. She had been there. And to see it in someone else not only made her relive it, but made her feel powerless. Meanwhile, Steve was torn at the sight of the long-lost brother he had thought dead. He was the one to break the silence.

“It was him. He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me” he mumbled.

“How’s that even possible? It was like seventy years ago” Sam said.

“Well, he’s like ninety-seven and he’s here, isn’t he?” Veronica stated and Sam rolled his eyes at her.

“Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured in ’43, Zola experimented on him” Steve explained. “Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must’ve found him and…”

“None of that’s your fault, Steve” Natasha intervened in a weak voice.

He looked away and sighed. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.”

Veronica swallowed the lump in her throat. This whole situation reminded her of a lot of things she did not want to think about, and when a tear escaped her eye she hastily wiped it against her shoulder before anyone saw it. She looked at Natasha’s wound to focus her mind on something else, and saw she was bleeding and her head kept falling as if she was struggling to stay awake.

“Natasha, you with me? You don’t look so good. The bandage must’ve loosened. Stay with me, okay?” Veronica said energetically, as if that would help her stay conscious.

Sam looked at the wound and talked to the guards. “We need to get a doctor here. We don’t put pressure on that wound, she’s gonna bleed out here in the truck.”

One of the guards unexpectedly pulled out an electric rod and threatened Sam with it, but instead she neutralized the other guard, knocking him out. Taking the helmet off, Hill revealed herself.

“Ah, that thing was squeezing my brain” she complained, and then looked at Sam in confusion. “Who’s this guy?”

“The introductions will have to wait, we need to get out of here. She needs medical attention. I think I can dislocate my thumb to get rid of this damn cuffs” Veronica said.

Hill pulled out the same kind of laser device Fury had used to escape the vehicle with Veronica. She set them free, cutting their handcuffs, and Veronica shrugged.

“Well, that’s one way to do it.”

And after that, she burnt a hole to escape through it the same way Fury had done, getting away from their enemies.


	9. The Helicarriers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Hope you had/are having a nice summer, and if you're about to go back to your routine... We'll always have the weekends

 Hill had stolen a van and drove the four of them to a secret facility in the middle of nowhere. On their way there, Veronica had tightened the improvised bandage again to keep more blood from soaking Natasha’s jacket. As soon as they got in, a man who apparently was a doctor came running towards them and Maria informed him of the situation of Natasha’s wound.

“Let me take her” he said.

“She’ll want to see him first” Maria replied.

Natasha, Steve and Veronica looked at her in hesitation. Who was _him_?

They got the answer when they were taken to a room with a bed and medical stuff around. _He_ was none other than Nick Fury, breathing and alive. The three of them looked at him in disbelief, as Sam wondered what the hell they were so surprised to see a man injured at this point.

“About damn time” Fury let out.

They filled Sam in about the whole Fury thing, and afterwards he listed the number of injuries he had as the doctor treated Natasha’s wound.

“They cut you open, your heart stopped” she said in confusion.

“Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn’t work so great for him, but we found a use for it” he explained.

“Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?” Steve asked.

“Any attempt on the director’s life had to look successful” Hill answered.

“Well, damn right it did” Veronica interjected.

“Can’t kill you if you’re already dead. Besides, I wasn’t sure who to trust. I’m not one hundred percent sure yet, but I guess if you’ve come this far for this cause… It has to be for a reason” Fury said as he eyed Veronica, who shifted uncomfortably. Trust talks were not her cup of tea.

“You can rest for a while. Anyone want some food?” Maria suggested.

“Hell yeah” Sam celebrated, following her.

 

* * *

 

Veronica was sitting on the couch in an empty space of the ware house. It wasn’t even a room, just a clear zone of the building with a couple of pillars holding the ceiling. She looked at her phone screen and debated whether she should call her mom. After the unfolded events, she didn’t know if she would be able to talk to her or see her anytime soon, or ever again for that matter. Maybe she was overreacting, but that was how she felt. HYDRA knew she was alive now, and they wanted her dead, Sitwell had said so. Without thinking any longer, she pressed the call button and waited for her to pick up, which didn’t take long.

“ _Hey sweetie, I was just thinking about you._ ”

“Hi mom. How come?” she said, a small smile appearing on her face.

“ _I was just dusting the piano and played a few keys. You would hate the sound of it, it’s so out of tune. It made me think of when you were younger and always kept it tuned. What was this song I liked so much that you were playing all the time?”_

“Liszt’s Liebenstraum. God, it took me ages to learn how to play that one.”

“ _But you did it. Just like you always achieve everything you resolve._ ”

“Well, not always.”

“ _Always. You’re the most perseverant and resilient person I know. Just look at you; even after what happened with Helen, you’re still out there, doing what you love._ ”

Veronica sighed, ignoring the pit in her stomach. “How’s everyone at home, anyway?”

“ _Grayson went out with some friends today, said they were gonna go fishing somewhere. I’m here with your grandma and Miles and Bethany are coming with the kids to have lunch with us._ ”

“How's Miles?”

“ _He’s good. He likes better the position he’s got now at work, doesn’t keep him away from his family so he’s good. He’s kind of mad at you, if I’m being honest. It upsets him that you didn’t bother coming to visit him when he came back, after what happened to you.”_

“I know. He has every right to be. I want to go back as soon as I can, maybe I’ll stay for a while.”

“ _You never do, honey. It’s fine. We just miss you and we wish we could see you more often. But as long as you’re happy, we are too. Even if that means you being away for months on end”_ she chuckled. “ _Your birthday is coming up soon. Maybe you can make it?_ ”

She had absolutely forgotten birthdays. It had been so long since she had celebrated one she didn’t even remember birthdays were a thing.

“I hope I can. I’ll work something out and let you know” she said. “I gotta go now, mom. I’ll call you again when I can, okay?”

“ _Okay baby. Have fun and please Ronnie, be careful. I love you.”_

“You too.”

Veronica hung up and leaned back on the couch, taking a deep breath. She missed her. She missed her mom, she missed her brother, she missed her home. She missed her life. It had been so long since she had felt like she belonged somewhere, and home was the only place she didn’t have to worry about fitting in, because she knew she did, even if some part of her was missing. When she was there she didn’t have to think about that because she was genuinely happy. She hadn’t felt truly happy for years, and at this point she was starting to think she would never feel like that again.

“You okay there?” Steve asked, coming out of the shadows. “Sorry, couldn’t help to listen. Enhanced hearing.”

“Is there anything that’s not enhanced in you?” Steve quirked a brow at her retort, and she shook her hand. “You know what, I don’t need an answer. There are like ten inappropriate answers that came to my mind.”

He took a seat next to her on the couch, letting out a breath.

“How much did you hear, exactly?”

“Your mom was complimenting you and named some _Helen_. From there on I heard everything.”

Veronica swallowed and tried to ignore the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She still couldn’t stop thinking about the whole Bucky thing, and how her and Steve’s situation were so similar and at the same time so very different.

“Was she someone important to you?” he inquired.

She sighed. “She was my best friend. She died a few years ago. And it was my fault.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth” she asserted. “She came with me on a search and she died because she decided to help me.”

“Well, I might be wrong but if she decided to help you, that was her decision. You couldn’t’ve known what would happen when you asked her” Steve opined.

“Said the pot to the kettle.”

“That’s different” he protested.

“It entirely is. That’s why what happened to Bucky wasn’t your fault but what happened to Helen _is_ my fault.”

“You’re stubborn” he shook his head with a small grin.

“So I’ve been told.”

“So… Your birthday, huh? When is it?”

He was trying to make conversation and even though Veronica found it weird, she was grateful for that. For some reason, she felt at ease talking to someone - talking to him.

“May 1st. I’m a Taurus.”

“Explains the stubbornness” Veronica chuckled at that. “Are you looking forward to it?”

“If I make it” she shrugged.

“C’mon, Ronnie, don’t say that.”

Veronica looked at him, tilting her head with a small grin. “ _Ronnie?_ ”

“Sorry, I heard your mom say it before and it must’ve gotten into my head” he apologized, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

“It’s okay. It’s just… been a long time since anyone other than my family has called me that. But I like it.”

“So how do you sing happy birthday in Texas? Does someone accompany you with a banjo?” he jested.

“Yeah, and every year I get a new pair of cowboy boots and always sing Jolene the first time I try them on as I dance like I’m trying to get the ants off my feet” Veronica played along.

Steve threw his head back in laughter as it echoed in room, his white perfect teeth showing in what turned into a beautiful smile.

“Well, look at that, he laughs. Didn’t know you could do that.”

“ _Of course_ I laugh. You’re just not funny often enough.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s not that you look like someone shoved a stick up your ass.”

“That’s _rude_.”

“But it’s true. You’re uptight” Veronica shrugged.

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m _not_!” Steve sighed. “I just haven’t felt like laughing lately. My life is just… crazy. I woke up after seventy years frozen, lost everyone I had. And now I’m surrounded by people and yet I feel so… Lonely. That’s partly why it was so heartbreaking to see Bucky today. He was always there for me, you know? We did everything together. And now that I know he’s alive, it makes it even worse to see that he’s not the friend I lost back in the 40s.”

“He is” Veronica differed. Steve turned to her and cocked his head, waiting for her to elaborate. “I saw the way he looked at you when you said his name. He’s somewhere, deep in there. I’ve been there, you know? I didn’t want to follow their orders, but it was like I had no will. Like the only thing I knew how to do was what they told me to” she lowered her gaze to the ground, absentmindedly. “There’re things I did I will never forgive myself for, burdens I will have to carry my whole life, because of them. And I know Bucky will feel the same, when he comes to his senses. That’s why I need to take them down. They have to pay.”

“And they will” he assured her, laying his hand on her knee to comfort her.

Veronica eyed his hand and then turned to gaze at his face. She hadn’t noticed before how beautiful his eyes were, of a deep ocean blue color, framed in long and thick eyelashes. She scrutinized his face, from his nose, to his square jaw, to his plump rosy lips where she lingered a bit longer than she should’ve. She had taken his beauty for granted because that’s what her Meemaw always said about him, and therefore she hadn’t actually appreciated how handsome he really was. She realized she was staring when she saw him blush lightly, and she quickly looked away as he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Oh, there you are” Sam said from the entrance of the corridor. “Your friend wants us.”

They assumed he was talking about Fury and got up from the couch without looking at each other. Veronica was embarrassed Steve had caught her staring at him. Why hadn’t he said anything if he knew she was staring at him and it was awkward for him? Now it was weird for the both of them. A small part of her thought he might have been staring at her too, because it had taken a while for him to react. But whatever the case was, she decided to pay it no mind and focus on their goal.

The trio got to the room where Fury expected them. Natasha, Maria and him sat around a table waiting for them to gather around. Veronica leaned on one of the pillars, a bit further from the table.

“This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said peace wasn’t an achievement, it was a responsibility” Fury said looking at a picture of Alexander Pierce. He dropped it on the table. “See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues.”

“We have to stop the launch” Natasha spoke.

“I don’t think the Council’s accepting my calls anymore” he opened the case in front of him.

“What’s that?” Sam asked.

“Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they’ll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized” Hill explained.

“We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own” Nick continued.

“One or two won’t cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this work, because even if one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die.”

“We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what’s left-“

“We’re not salvaging anything” Steve interrupted him. “We’re not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We’re taking down SHIELD.”

“SHIELD had nothing to do with it” Fury protested.

“You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD’s been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed.”

“Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave? I noticed.”

“How many had to pay the prize before you did?” Steve said bitterly, gesturing towards Veronica. She shifted in her position, although Fury knew Steve wasn’t only talking about her.

“Look, I didn’t know about Barnes.”

“Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too?” there was nothing Fury could argue to that. The super soldier shook his head. “SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes.”

“He’s right” Maria agreed, setting her mouth in a thin line.

The director’s brow drew together and he looked around him, first at Natasha, who just leaned back on the chair showing she had nothing to say, and then at Sam.

“Don’t look at me, I do what he does just slower.”

Lastly he met Veronica’s gaze and everyone turned to look at her. She looked at Fury straight in the eye and considered what she should say for a few seconds before finally speaking.

“Look where you’re standing now, Fury. You had to fake your death and two of the people who saved the world from an alien invasion two years ago are also two of the most wanted people in the country now. If this is where SHIELD’s taken us, what is the difference between SHIELD and HYDRA anymore?” she said, pushing herself away from the pillar and approaching the table. “The world doesn’t need a corrupted SHIELD to protect them. They need people who want to do good. And if there’s someone who wants to do good on those heli-whatever, they will fight whoever gets in their way when they see what’s going on. So I agree with Rogers. It all has to end.”

Fury nodded slowly and sat back on the chair, meeting Steve’s eyes. “Well, looks like you’re giving the orders now, Captain."

 

* * *

 

Hill drove the van to the Triskelion, Steve, Sam and Veronica in the back of the vehicle gearing up. Steve had managed to steal his suit from the Smithsonian, which he was wearing now, and Sam was trying to fit his harness. Veronica zipped the catsuit Maria had given her and buckled the belt, looking at it. It was made of black spandex and red lines covered the seam, the same color of the belt. It also had pockets along the arms and legs that Veronica had made sure to fill with a couple of blades and guns. Steve started going over the plan again.

“Sam and Hill, you come with me to the surveillance room. Veronica, you hit the control room. Make sure nobody launches those helicarriers.”

Everyone nodded again and Steve turned to Veronica to address her.

“You may have to use some of your abilities today.”

“If you can consider an ability having powers that you don’t know how to use” she deadpanned.

“Just give it a shot, okay? Something might come in handy.”

“I highly doubt that, but okay.”

“Well, you said you were a human flashlight. That’s definitely something” he grinned. “That could actually be your alias.”

“Seriously? Human flashlight? That sounds ridiculous, Steve. Human torch sounds _so_ much better.”

“But that’s a superhero already.”

“ _But that’s a superhero already_ ” she mimicked mockingly.

Steve shook his head and chuckled softly. When it wasn’t safe to drive anymore because of the proximity they got out of the vehicle and went separate ways. Natasha had helped Veronica find a way to get into the Triskelion without setting off the alarm, since the control room was on the main building. She had given her some kind of device that looked like a bracelet that she could use to open the doors by frying up the fingerprint reader, and she only had to touch it. Together they had gone over the blueprints the same way Ronnie had done when she was keeping an eye on the Captain. Natasha had a mission of her own, which is why she hadn’t driven there with them.

“I’m in position. Are you guys in the watch room?”

“ _Yes. Proceed_ ” Hill answered.

“Copy that.”

She fried the fingerprint reader and ran for the stairs, drawing her gun and holding it up. The control room was on the tenth floor and she hoped her aerobic classes were useful now – even if she hadn’t taken one of those in years. When she was on the seventh floor, Steve’s voice was heard in the whole building.

“ _Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You’ve heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it’s time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it’s been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader.  The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well, I don’t know how many more, but I know they’re in the building._ ”

At last she reached the tenth floor and found the door to the control room. Sharon spotted her entering and Veronica approached her as Steve went on with his speech.

“ _I know I’m asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it has always been, and it’s a price I’m willing to pay. And if I’m the only one, then so be it. But I’m willing to bet I’m not._ ”

Everyone in the control room looked around them, studying the faces of who they thought were their coworkers. They were doubting every single person around them and Veronica thought that was sad, even though probably no one in that room was HYDRA.

“ _Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?_ ” Ronnie heard Sam say to Steve through the earpiece.

She laughed. “Yeah, who are you, Cicero?”

She noticed Sharon eyeing her, not knowing who she was talking to. Veronica tucked a strand of hair over her right ear, showing Sharon her earpiece and she nodded.

“What do we do?” she asked.

“Make sure nobody launches those carriers” Veronica simply answered.

In that instant Rumlow stomped through the door followed by Insight Agents, and he headed towards the desk next to where Sharon and Veronica stood. He promptly located her and when he reached her position he stared at her with a wicked smirk.

“Veronica Drake. Now I know who you are, can’t believe I was in front of the well-known Inquisitor herself and didn’t notice.”

She didn’t say a word. She hadn’t been called that in such a long time that hearing it now made her feel sick. But she knew she had to keep it together, after how things turned out the last time.

“You always manage to escape, don’t you?”

“Seems like it.”

“Well, I hope you said your goodbyes, because once Project Insight launches you will not be able to escape it” he turned to the young tech next to them. “Preempt the launch sequence. Send those ships up now” he requested.

The tech visibly hesitated, looking at Rumlow and then back at the computer biting his lip.

“He’s not gonna do it” Veronica stood up for him.

“Is there a problem?” Rumlow asked the man, ignoring her.

“I said he is _not_ doing it!” she yelled.

“I wasn’t talking to you” the HYDRA agent barked back at her.

Veronica waited for the tech to do something but he seemed like he was actually considering refusing. If he did Brock would either try to force him into doing it or do it himself, but she would not let that happen. She only had one thing to do, and she was going to make sure it was done.

“Is there a _problem_?” he addressed the tech again.

“I’m sorry, sir” the man blurted out, noticeably nervous. “I’m not gonna launch those ships. Captain’s orders.”

Rumlow immediately pulled his gun out, pointing it to the tech’s head. “Move away from your station.”

Sharon approached him and both she and Veronica drew their guns, pointing them at him.

“Like he said!” Sharon interjected as every SHIELD agent pointed their guns at the STRIKE people in the room.

“Captain’s orders” Veronica finished, tilting her head.

“You picked the wrong side, ladies” he said pointing further into the tech’s head.

“Depends on where you’re standing” Veronica sentenced.

Rumlow looked out of the corner of his eyes to his right, at Sharon, and then to his left, where Ronnie stood. All of a sudden he lowered his gun and dropped it shortly after. Sharon seemed to ease a little but Veronica knew there was a catch, he couldn’t just give up like that. Indeed, he drew a blade out of one of his pockets and cut Sharon’s arm, making her yelp and drop her gun, which distracted Veronica and impeded her from foreseeing his next move. He cut her thigh with the blade right where the bullet scar HYDRA had granted her was, losing balance for a moment and dropping her gun when she reached for her leg. Everyone had started shooting and Rumlow took advantage of that to get into the computer and launch the helicarriers. When Veronica finally managed to get up and pick up her gun, he was running out of the room and on the big screen the word _OVERRIDE_ was displayed.

“Shit” she swore, breaking into a run to get Rumlow. “Guys, Rumlow just launched the helicarriers. I’m after him but you need to deal with-“

“ _They’re initiating the launch_ ” Hill interrupted her.

“ _We’re on it_ ” Steve said.

As she reached the thirtieth floor, Ronnie ran into a group of four STRIKE agents that started shooting at her when they saw her. She engaged with the first of them, kicking him in the chest so he fell backwards, taking one agent to the floor with him. Then she shot another in the left foot, and when he crouched down she kneed his head, knocking him out. The agent left shot at her from afar, and thanks to her enhanced reflexes she could dodge it but it still grazed her cheek and it burnt as it started to bleed slightly. Before she could realize it her back was against the wall, and the man was aiming his gun between her eyebrows.

“What are you gonna do now?” he gloated.

“Don’t kill me, please, don’t kill me” she whimpered.

“Why should I-”

With one hand against his wrist and the other against the barrel of the gun, Veronica took the weapon away from him, kneeing him in his crotch. She hit him with the back of the gun on the temple and he fell to the ground KO.

“Asshole” she rolled her eyes.

“ _Flashlight, you okay there_?” Hill said through the earpiece.

“Who told you to call me that?”

“ _Rogers._ ”

“Well, don’t. I’m fine, but I can’t find Rumlow. You got eyes on him?”

“ _Just now. He’s headed for the Council._ ”

“On it. Falcon, you on the ground?” Veronica asked.

“ _Yeah, my suit is down._ ”

“Some help would be nice.”

“ _On my way._ ”

Veronica ran up the stairs until the forty-first floor, and when she headed to the south-west stairwell, she heard footsteps behind her. She hid behind a door and waited for whoever it was to make himself known.

“I’m on forty one, headed towards the south-west stairwell.”

Rumlow’s voice echoed in the room and Veronica promptly lunged at him, swinging a punch to his face. He was stun and she used that to grab his head and bring it to her knee, beating it hard. However he managed to get out of her grasp and pushed her arms away from him, taking her head now in his hands and headbutting her. Ronnie tumbled to the ground, feeling her brow starting to bleed, and Rumlow spoke to her.

“This is gonna hurt. There are no prisoners with HYDRA, just order. And order only comes through pain.”

“You’re all bark and no bite. Bring it on already.”

She focused on dodging his blows, trying to exhaust him. After a while his punches seemed to lose strength, and she took advantage of it to kick him in the stomach and throw him off balance. Using his imbalance, Veronica jumped on him throwing him to the ground as she tried to choke him.

“No need to get so feisty if what you wanted was to be on top of me” he said, managing to choke out a laugh.

“Shut up you dirtbag” she spat in disgust.

“ _One minute”_ Hill notified.

“What’s the difference from what you did in HYDRA and what you’re doing now? You killed for the baddies, now you’re killing for the goodies. But you’re killing all the same.”

“Stop it” Veronica mumbled. She knew where he was heading to and rage started to flow through her veins. She wasn’t trying to choke him anymore, barely touching the skin of his neck, but suddenly he started screaming like the life was being taken from his body. Ronnie hurriedly moved her hands away from his neck, taken aback.

“ _Thirty seconds, Cap!”_

Sam entered the room then, but Rumlow hogged her focus with the words he let out in a hoarse voice.

“I bet you enjoy this. Hurting someone who’s helpless… Just like you enjoyed killing your friend Helen.”

“Veronica?” Sam said in disbelief at what he had just heard.

“Sam-” she was going to explain herself when Rumlow lifted her up and threw her at one of the desks, breaking the glass on it.

“You’re out of your depth, kid.”

Veronica saw the helicarrier about to crash with the building and quickly got up, running as far from the window as she could along with Sam. Brock tried to ran away from it but the ceiling collapsed onto him, letting out a sharp yelp as his body was smashed.

“Please, tell me you got that chopper in the air!” Sam screamed through the earpiece.

“Guys, where are you?”

“Forty-first floor, north-west corner!” Veronica spoke to Natasha as Sam and her desperately tried to get away from the mess the carrier was causing.

“We’re on it, stay where you are.”

“Not an option!”

They were surrounded by destruction and there was no other way out than to jump off the window. As they ran towards it, Sam and Veronica looked at each other and nodded, holding hands right before taking the leap. Luckily for them the chopper was already under their window when they jumped, and Fury maneuvered so they landed inside the vehicle. Veronica managed to get hold of a seatbelt, but Sam would’ve plunged into thin air if it hadn’t been for Natasha, who reached out for him before he did.

“Forty-first floor! Forty-first!” Sam yelled.

“It’s not like they put the numbers on the outside of the building!” Fury retorted as he steadied the helicopter.

“Where’s the Captain?” Veronica asked.

“Hill, you got a location on Rogers?” Natasha inquired through the earpiece.

“ _He’s in the third helicarrier._ ”

“What do you mean he’s _in_ the third helicarrier?”

“ _He told me to fire. Regardless of whether he managed to get out in time or not.”_

“What?”

Ronnie looked at the others, Natasha’s lips pressed together in a thin line and Sam furrowed, sighing as his shoulders fell. The blond shook her head vehemently.

“No, no, what is this? Why are you all acting like this?” she put her hands on Sam’s shoulders and shook him. “We’re not giving up. We don’t- we can’t give up.” She felt another panic attack about to break and tried to ignore it by keeping herself busy trying to be useful. She approached Fury, who had turned to look at her. “We find the helicarrier and we get him out. Right?”

Fury studied her eyes, wide open and bloodshot. She was desperately asking him for help but at that point Nick knew there was probably no way of getting Steve out of the helicarrier about to explode. “Veronica…”

“Can you just fly this damn thing?” she let out. Nick kept looking at her, no knowing what to say or do. “Fury. Please.”

He sighed and flew the chopper in the direction the third helicarrier was supposed to be just in time to see it blow up. A general gasp was heard in the cockpit and Veronica’s spirit collapsed, her panic attack breaking out.

“It’s my fault. It’s my fault. I had to stop the launch of the helicarriers and I didn’t and it’s my fault he’s in there. It’s my fault” she repeated over and over again.

 Her breath became quicker and irregular, her heart bumped in her chest and she noticed she was out of the chopper and on the floor. Natasha and Sam surrounded her and talked to her, asking her to calm down, but she couldn’t hear a thing. Sam knew how to handle the situation and tried some of his tricks to make her ease.

“Veronica, you’re okay. It’s okay. This is not your fault, you have to calm down” he said caressing her arm rhythmically. “You’re fine. None of this is on you. I need you to breath in deep, and then let it out slowly, okay? Please.”

Her lost gaze found his face and he nodded reassuringly, encouraging her to do as he said. Hopefully she would focus on the rhythmical caresses and relax little by little. She tried to breathe in and although it was more like panting, it was good enough for Sam.

“Good, keep doing that, you’re doing great. Nothing’s going to harm you, okay? I got you.”

Veronica gradually came back to her senses and realized Natasha was gone, but Sam was still sitting next to her. She was still trembling and the cold sweat would probably grant her a nice cold, but at least the panic was over now.

“Where did Natasha go?”

“They found the Captain. He’s injured, but he’s alive. He fell from the helicarrier unconscious and plunged into the lake, but somehow he made it to the shore.”

She knew he couldn’t have done it alone. Her hear told her that was Bucky’s doing, but she didn’t have enough strength to say it nor the will to discuss that right now. At least the Captain was safe and that relieved her. That reminded her of what Rumlow had said in front of Sam, about her and Helen.

“Sam, about what you heard ear-”

“We don’t have to do this now” he interrupted her. “We’re both injured and exhausted. And you need someone to check that cut in your thigh. C’mon, get up. It’s over.”

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment and kudos if you liked it. It really means a lot :)


End file.
